Secretary
by xMab
Summary: Lucius Malfoy hires a young witch to be his personal secretary. Rated M for later chapters. There will be smut.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, first fic EVAR. First chapter is short, I know. They will get longer, and juicier. Just wanted to set it up. Please review! (but be gentle, it's my first time...)**

The alarm went off at 5:30, much earlier than was Cecilia's norm. She got up quickly and made her way to the bathroom, with a flick of her wand she heard the coffee beginning to percolate in the kitchen. She stood in front of the mirror and scrutinized herself while the shower heated up. Her hair was long and brown, usually it shone but at the moment it was too matted from sleeping. Her body was petite and she was rather pleased with it. Sure, it wasn't exactly as buxom or curvy as some other witches, but her waist was small and her breasts perky. She pulled a brush through her hair before stripping off the plain t-shirt and panties that she wore to bed and stepping into the hot shower.

By the time she had climbed out of the shower, her skin and hair clean and scented with rose, the coffee had finished brewing. She realized with a start that she had taken longer than she had intended in the shower and was now running a bit behind schedule. she quickly pulled on a nice blouse and pencil skirt with matching heels, then quickly poured come coffee into a travel mug before grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

Living in a muggle neighborhood had it's drawbacks. She had to take a muggle car. When she had first moved into the small apartment she had traveled to and from her home by apparation, but soon her landlord told her than there had been complaints about the loud cracking noises. Once she got used to it though, driving a muggle car was not as bad as she had thought it would be. Once she got the hang of it she found, in fact, that it was a bit relaxing and the time it took her to drive to work afforded her a few precious moments of mental preparation for the day's tasks. that was before she had been laid off though. Her employer, an old man who worked in the department of magical law enforcement had finally retired. She couldn't be mad at him for leaving her high and dry, it was well past his time to go into retirement, as his quality of work had been slipping considerably, leaving her with much more to do. She did find herself wishing that he had chosen a more opportune time to leave though, it was the beginning of summer and all of the new hogwarts graduates were streaming in looking for jobs as well. The available job market at the Ministry was, needless to say, completely swamped.

It had been several months of endless searching and, likewise, endless disappointment, but she finally had an interview.

Cecilia arrived at Malfoy Manor at 6:30, right on time. She parked her car and walked up to the large gate, she tried the latch but it was locked. She nervously looked around, wondering what she was supposed to do. She suddenly noticed, with a start, that the iron work of the gate had formed into the shape of a face. "What business have you?" It asked in a deep voice.

"Uh...I have.." She said quietly, too quietly. She cleared her voice and tried to muster up some confidence. "I have an appointment with Lucius Malfoy."

"He is expecting you." The face replied. The gate swung open with a loud creaking sound. She stepped inside the grounds slowly, letting out a low whistle as she took in her surroundings. The grounds were unbelievably vast, she could see albino peacocks strutting about on the top of the hill to her right, and to the left she could made out the edge of what she could only guess to be equally grand gardens. She took to walking down the cobblestone path that led to the front of the mansion that seemed to loom at her. When she arrived at the door she lifted her fist to knock on it, but as she did so it swung open, seemingly on it's own accord.

She stepped in timidly. "Uh...H-Hello?" She said tentatively.

"Ms. Wells, if i'm not mistaken?" Came a liquidy male voice. She turned around on her heel to face the stairs, where the voice had come from.


	2. Chapter 2:The Interview

Secretary Chapter 2

Lucius Malfoy stood on the bottom stair of the crimson carpeted staircase. Even in his own home, he dressed formally in black robes. His long blonde hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a silk ribbon. His blue eyes peirced her. She shifted under his gaze from the clear impression that he was scrutinizing her looks.

"Yes, that's me." She replied with as much confidance as she could muster.

"The office is this way." He said shortly before turning on his heel and leading the way up the staircase. She followed, her eyes greedily taking in every ounce of opulence that seemed to drip from every corner of the estate. At the top of the stairs and down the long hallway to the right there was a single door. He pushed it open, holding it there and allowing the woman to pass through.

Malfoy's office was decorated in the same style as the rest of what she had seen of the manor. Heavy tapestries hung on the walls which mirrored the lush red carpeting. The room itself was large and rectangular, on one end sat two desks, one grander than the other. At the other end was a fireplace with two high-backed chairs flanking it, a tea table between them. Malfoy took his seat behind the larger and grander of the two desks. He motioned for her to sit on the wooden chair that sat opposite. She had down and crossed one leg over the other.

", shall we discuss your qualifications?" he said cooly. He had an air of disinterest about him that made her feel uncomfortable. As lush and magnificent as the manor was, it retained that feeling of coldness, same as it's master. She couldn't imagine that a child had ever lived there, though she knew that the Malfoy's had a son, she had met him at the ministry. She hadn't known the young master malfoy while the war was still fresh in everyone's memory, but when she had seen him he looked quite normal, joking with his co-workers and speaking of his plans for the holiday. She cleared her throat again before beginning. The malfoy before her looked as though he had never joked in his life.

"Well, when I was a little girl my parents had a bed and breakfast near Hogmeade. One summer it became unexpectedly popular and they were overrun with work, so they had me do all the bookkeeping. I was 9 at the time. I worked for them in the summers until I left Hogwarts. From there I got a job at the ministry. I was an assistant to a man who worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I worked there for 4 years. I am a fast writer and can easily keep up with even the most hurried dictations. I also take personal pride in organization."

"And why don't you work at the ministry anymore?"

"The man I worked for retired, and with all the new Hogwarts graduates coming in I couldn't manage to transfer within the ministry."

"Well," malfoy continued with the same air of indifference, leaning back a bit in his chair. "As you are most likely aware, after the war my family was disgraced. Since then I have worked to re-establish our esteem in the magical community. I am currently serving on three board of commitees and have constant business with officials at the Ministry. Though you would be working for me personally, I expect much of your work here would be similar to what you were used to at your previous place of employment. You would be expected to manage my schedule, take dictations, send, recieve, and reply to any letters that do not require my personal reply, and any other duty I assign to you. It may not seem like much but I expect the best. You will arrive on time every day. You will take your lunch and be back in precisely one hour. Personal correspondance with your friends or family will not be permitted while you are at work, and, of course, I demand a professional appearence from anyone who represents me at all times. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Cecilia replied before adding; "Sir."

"I assume you brought your resume?" He asked with a raise of his arched eyebrow.

"Yes sir. Of course." Cecilia retrieved a folded peice of parchement from her purse. He took it from her and placed it on his desk without looking at it.

"You will know by the end of the week." He said, with a wave of his pale hand. She nodded her thanks, gathered her things, and let herself out of the office. As she made her way out of the estate she had second thoughts. she couldn't imagine working in such a palace, for such a man. But she needed this job, and she knew it.

——

Cecilia sat back in her couch, cradling her oversized mug of tea. It was past noon and she was still in her sweatpants. She sighed, unemployment didn't suit her at all. For the past several days she had barely left the house, which was beginning to look worse for wear. She had grown lax in her housekeeping, there were dishes stacked in the sink and she had taken to leaving wet towels on the floor in the bathroom. She left like a slug. Useless. Her hair seemed to have developed a permanent kink where her hair tie was, she hadn't even brushed it since the day before.

She started when there came a clicking sound from her bedroom window. She jumped up quickly, too quickly, half of her tea sloshed over the rim of her mug and down her front. "Shit." She hissed as the hot liquid burned her. She left the now half-empty mug on the coffee table as she ran to her bedroom. On the other side of the window a large brown owl stood staring at her from the windowbox. She slid the window open with some difficultly and the owl jumped on to her bare arm, it's talons digging painfully into her skin as it regained it's balance. She stuck her head out the window and looked about nervously, hoping no one has seen the strange animal. She didn't see anyone so she sat down excitedly on her bed. The owl jumped off her arm and hopped onto the disheveled pillows, extending it's leg. She took the parchment that was attached there, on it were a few short lines written in a calculating and masculine hand.

"You have been chosen to work for me at my estate.  
Please arrive tomorrow at 7. Simply state your name to the gate and let yourself in.  
You will not be shown to the office, I assume you remember where it is.  
Lucius Malfoy"

Cecilia scribbled her thanks at the bottom of the page before tying it again on the bird's leg. It flew out the window without making a sound. It wasn't until the bird had left that she realized it had drawn blood on her arm.

**AN: I may have the next chapter by the end of the day. No promises though. Thanks so much for the reviews, they are very encouraging.**


	3. Chapter 3: Her first day

Cecilia arrived at Malfoy Manor a few minutes early the following day. She had curled her hair and it hung loosely around her shoulders. She chose to wear another knee-length pencil skirt with an emerald green blouse, a black blazer over that. She could feel the flutterings of nervousness low in her stomach. Now that she was here a slew of thoughts rushed through her head in rapid succession. _Was I supposed to bring my own quills? Should I have worn my hair up? Do I look professional enough? Will he be sitting at his desk all day or will I be left alone?_ As she approached the gate the face again appeared in the ironwork.

"Name?"

"Cecilia Wells."

The gate again creaked open and she let herself in. This time, as she walked into the manor, she took her time to admire the interior of the house. She studied the line of portraits on the wall. Even through the many generations of Malfoys it was easy to spot the resemblance. They all had that white-blonde hair, the pointed features, and the chilling blue eyes. The portraits sneered at her as she passed. She made a face back at one particularly snide portrait before climbing the stairs. When she found herself outside the closed door of Malfoy's office she stopped. Am I supposed to knock or just waltz in? She stood there for what seemed to her like very long moments.

"Is it locked?" Came a familiar voice behind her that was tinged with snide sarcasm. She noticeably jumped at the sudden appearance of Mr. Malfoy. He smirked mercilessly at her. "Did I startle you?"

"Yes, actually." Cecilia said with a voice that was harsher than she had meant for it to be. This man made her incredibly uncomfortable. The way he studied her body was bordering on obscene but if she wanted the job she knew that she couldn't reprimand him. "I wasn't sure if I was to knock or not." She said, awkwardly adjusting her blazer to cover herself better. She hadn't thought that her outfit was at all inappropriate or revealing when she had dressed, but when he so openly scrutinized her she found herself longing for more layers of fabric between her and his cold eyes.

"I imagine that there will be many mornings when you will arrive at the office before I do. As such the door will be left unlocked. You are not a guest here, Ms. Wells." He said patronizingly. He gave her another dismissive glance before letting himself into the tapestried room. He didn't hold the door open for her this time. As she followed him into the room he motioned towards the smaller desk. "This is where you will do your work. In the drawer you will find everything you will need. Your first task will be to reply to these invitations," He said while dropping a bundle of letters into her desk. "I will not be attending any of these events." He sat down at his desk and began writing without any further instruction.

Cecilia sat down in the desk and hurriedly pulled out the drawer under the writing surface. Thick, expensive looking parchment, quills, and multiple pots of ink were arranged neatly within it. She took out some supplies and got to work immediately. The letters that he had dropped on her desk were tied together with twine. When she went to undo the knot she found it unexpectedly tight. She struggled to work her fingers through the knot but it wouldn't budge. Her throat betrayed her semblance of calm with a small grunt as she tried to get the knot to budge. Malfoy lifted his eyes to her without lifting his head. He raised an eyebrow. "Having difficulties?" Cecilia straightened in her chair and took out her wand.

"Not at all Mr. Malfoy." She said pointedly as she tapped the knot with the end of her wand, using a spell that was perhaps a bit overkill for the task. The twine unwound itself with such force that bits of the rough cord scattered over her desk. She swept the bits with her arm deliberately and took up the first letter with a raised eyebrow of her own to her new employer, daring him to mock her further. He merely smirked again before directing his attention back to the letter he was composing.

In the following hours the tension seemed palpable. Cecilia knew that he was watching her and it made her feel incredibly self conscious. Just what the hell is he looking at? She thought bitterly to herself. At times, he would put down his quill altogether, lean back in his chair with his arms crossed and openly stare at her. She made a point of not acknowledging him when he did so, though she was certain that he noticed the blush that had risen in her cheeks. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was disturbing her. She worked diligently until her task was finished. She tied the new bundle to the owl that stood silently on a perch near the window. She recognized the owl from before and was careful to make sure her arm was well protected by her blazer before letting it out.

"I've finished." She said with an air of victory.

He waved a hand at her without looking up saying "You may take your lunch now. Be back in one hour, precisely." Cecilia let herself out into the hallway before apparating to a familiar bar in Hogsmeade. To her delight she saw an old friend sitting alone at one of the booths. "Claire!" she exclaimed as she trotted up to her friend.

"Hey girlie!" Claire said, smiling broadly. "Sit with me." Cecilia acquiesced and ordered a sandwich and a small mug of butterbeer. "I thought you were going to your new job today." Claire asked quizzically after Cecilia had bordered the butterbeer.

"I am. I'm on lunch. And it's been just awful."

"Well then, one little butterbeer shouldn't hurt. Take the edge off a tiny bit, right?" Claire said. "So your message last night was so hurried. Where exactly is it that you are working again?"

Cecilia straightened and put on her best impression of her calculating employer. "I'm the professional assistant to the Honorable and Noble Mr. Lucius Malfoy." Cecilia's friend suddenly perked up noticeably.

"No way! You lucky bitch! He's such a _fox_" Claire said loudly. Cecilia gaped at her.

"How many drinks have you had?" Cecilia asked incredulously.

"C'mon, it's noon! I'm totally serious. He has that _dangerous_ vibe. Totally hot."

"Dangerous? Perhaps. Cold? Rude? Snide? Absolutely. He is completely cold. He's like a bad caricature of a real person."

"Listen, all I'm saying is that he and his wife haven't been seen together in a while. Poor guy probably needs to get laid anyway, Narcissa being who she is. You could totally do that sexy secretary thing and have a much easier time at work, if you know what I mean." Claire said with a serious face that was in direct contrast to the ridiculousness of her speech. Cecilia's order arrived and she ate in silence while her friend continued on with her plans for her friend and Mr. Malfoy. She merely laughed off Claire's opinions on her employer. By the end of her meal Cecilia's face hurt from laughing at her friend.

"You are a slut, my friend." Cecilia said only half-jokingly as she gathered herself to leave.

"You could be too if you only applied yourself." Claire joked.

"You're right. I'll get right on that." Cecilia laughed before she apparated back to the front door of Malfoy Manor. She was feeling much more relaxed after spending an hour with her friend. She even smiled to Malfoy as she entered. She thought for a moment that he smiled back, only to realize that it was nothing but his normal smirk. "Yes?" She asked in response to his expression.

"Nothing at all Ms. Wells." he said, perhaps sarcastically. He lifted a few leafs of slightly crinkled parchment to her. "This is my schedule. It's a mess. You will organize it next." Cecilia took the papers and looked at what was written there. They were covered with random notes, dates, addresses and all other manner of scribblings. _Is he kidding? I can barely read some of this._ She thought as she walked back over to her own desk. She reflected on the strange juxtaposition of such a stately figure who kept such sloppy notes. She had assumed that all of his personal business would be conducted with the same precision that he exhibited in every other aspect of his life that she had seen. She smiled a bit to herself with the knowledge that he really did need her as she dipped her quill into the pot of silky black ink.

Soon she was completely immersed in the difficult task, which was evident by her change in posture. She had one leg crossed over the other and the heel of one of her black patent pumps had slipped off of her foot and she was dangling it off her toes while twirling a lock of her curled auburn hair through the fingers of her left hand. Malfoy looked up and was momentarily entranced by the sight of her. He was struck by the easy eroticism of the sight. The slight flexing of her calf as she dangled the shoe, the way her eyes narrowed in concentration and the absent-minded manipulation of her silken hair. The sight of her delicate fingers moving so nimbly made his mind wander to the other things that those fingers could do....

He cleared his throat loudly. Cecilia jumped at the sudden noise which caused her to accidentally drop her shoe altogether. He pointedly glanced at her foot and she blushed madly while scooping the shoe back on. The rest of the day was spent in silence. He continued to glance at her but she would not relax like that again. She sat, straight backed, both feet planted on the ground in front of her and her hands busy with only quill and parchment. When she left that evening he was both greatly disappointed and greatly relieved. Yes, he had hired the prettiest applicant on purpose, but he didn't expect the attraction to become to pointed so quickly. His mind was already a mess and it was only her fist day. He had seen her self-important little smirk when she began organizing his notes and he hated her for it, but the heat of anger had quickly become a different kind of heat. He felt out of control, and he was always in control. He poured a stiff drink for himself in his bedroom later that night and promised to himself that he would not let his guard down again. Lucius Malfoy did not chase women. They came to him. And she would eventually.

He vowed that someday he would make her beg.

**AN: Ack, this seemes so rushed. Hope you like it anyway.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Stranger

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up, I was having issues with scene transitions. WARNING: there is a sex scene below, if you are underage and get caught reading it, don't come crying to me. You have been warned.**

Cecilia sighed as she arrived home after he first day of work. She fumbled with her key and opened the door with a breath of relief. It was wonderful to be home. The apartment was small and scarcely decorated. She had a blue couch that had seen better days but was still comfortable that faced her heater that tried to disguise itself as a proper fireplace. The imitation was pathetic, the coils glowed white hot behind the worst excuse for fake firewood that she had ever seen. Still, the heater filled the small home with adequate warmth quickly and the longer she lived there the more she grew to appreciate the dull hum the machine emitted, it was a calming white noise and she found that if she turned it off the true silence became overbearing. Other than that the only furniture she had were a couple mismatched chairs, a wooden coffee table, and several bookcases. Her home was the polar opposite of the Malfoy Manor and at that moment she couldn't have been more appreciative of that. She dropped her purse on the floor by the front door, flipped on the heater, started a pot of tea, and then plopped unceremoniously onto the couch. She closed her eyes and lay there for several minutes, listening to the whir of her heater and the slightly sticky sound of cars passing by her window, it had begun to rain softly. Her head and limbs felt heavy with fatigue. The work itself had not been difficult, even Malfoy's poorly kept notes were easier to translate that the senile memos of her former employer, but the environment was impossible. Malfoy had barely said a word all day and there were several times throughout the day that she thought she might have screamed, if only to break the heavy silence. On top of that, his constant scrutinization of her was overwhelming, she felt like an animal at the zoo. She couldn't even shift her weight without his stupid mocking eyebrow flying up as he stared. She could have punched the pillow in frustration, but the kettle went off at that moment and she stood to fix her tea.

She sat back down on the couch, leaving her head against the back with her eyes closed, letting the heat from the mug of tea warm her hands. She had only taking a few tentative sips when a knock came at her door. She sighed and got up, not wanting to relinquish her spot on the couch. She looked through the tiny peephole on the door, she could see claire standing there looking impatient. she opened the door.

"Hey, what's going on?" Claire said.

"Nothing, I was just sitting down, I just got home. Do you want some tea or something?"

"No thanks, I'm good." Claire replied, letting herself in. "I was on my way out, I'm going to go to this bar that people at work have been raving about. I stopped by to ask if you'd want to go with me." She added, turning around to look at Cecilia with pleading eyes.

"I don't know, I just got home and I'm pretty tired."

"Come on, please? I don't have anyone else to go with and it will be so awkward if I go alone." Clair said, grabbing Cecilia's hands in her own. "Please?"

Cecilia sighed, knowing that her friend would not let it go. "Fine, fine. Just let me get dressed ok?" Claire jumped up and down like an excited child then followed Cecilia into the bedroom. Cecilia opened the doors to the large closet and began pulling out a few choices. After half an hour of deliberation and many changes of clothes, Claire helped Cecilia to come to a decision. They had decided on a slinky red satin dress that fell to about the knees. Cecilia tied her hair back in a loose up-do, leaving a few stray locks to fall around her face, she also applied some red lipstick as per the advice of her friend.

The air inside the bar was thick with smoke, a live band was playing on a small stage that sat in front of a rather cramped dance floor. Booths and smaller tables were situated at the back with a long bar that lined the whole right side of the establishment. Cecilia and Claire took two stools at the bar. Cecilia's pulse was already beating fast, the music drummed in her ears. "This place is crazy!" She said loudly into Claire's ear.

"I know! Isn't it great? Look at all the guys!" Claire answered. Cecilia looked around, squinting her eyes into the heavy smoke. There was in fact a tall man sitting in a booth on the other side of the room looking at her and smiling.. A thrill ran down her spine at the intensity of his gaze, she smiled back demurely before turning back to her friend who was already tapping her feet to the beat of the music. "Hey there pretty lady." Claire said jokingly. "Dance with me!" Clair pulled Cecilia by the wrists and led her to the cramped dance floor. They shuffled their way through the mass of sweaty bodies until they found a spot, about 2 feet square, where they could dance. Cecilia felt awkward and silly at first but the outgoing and free-spirited nature of her friend comforted her until she was dancing freely. The band was playing fast-paced, beat driven rock, the drums pounding in everyone's head. It wasn't long until the stranger from across the room approached the two girls.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I have this dance?" The tall stranger asked Cecilia in a formal tone unfitting for the circumstance. Cecilia looked at Claire who nodded her feverish consent.

"Go dance! You're cramping my style anyway." Claire said laughingly as she playfully shoved Cecilia in the direction of the man. Cecilia turned and took the man's hand and as they began dancing she could see Claire making a bee-line to a handsome blonde man. She chuckled inwardly at the brazen tactics of her friend. The song ended and a new one took it's place immediately. the stranger wrapped his arm around Cecilia's waist and pulled her to him. He was much taller than she, but not gangly in the least. His shoulders were quite broad and through his tight black t-shirt she could see that his arms and chest were rippled with muscles. His hair was brown and long enough to get in his hazel eyes. A part of her wanted to ask his name, but mostly she didn't care. She wasn't looking for a relationship, just a handsome, strong man to dance with. His large hands roamed her waist and the small of her back. She entwined her fingers around his neck and let the music and the that that radiated from his body entrance her. She didn't even notice when he gained confidence and his hands roamed down to her backside, and now his hips were grinding forcefully into hers. When the song ended he led her back to the bar and ordered her a drink that was stronger than she usually drank. Inwardly, she shrugged. It was just for one night after all, she may as well enjoy it. She deserved it anyway, she very rarely let herself really let go and have fun. She downed the drink quickly, the prickly liquid scorching down her throat and into her chest. The man was grinning at her and ordered another.

"Aren't you going to drink?" She asked him, her voice already beginning to slur slightly.

"I'd like to remember my evening with such a lovely woman." He said. His voice was heavy and thick, and he stared at her openly. For a moment his gaze reminded her of someone else.

"Don't look at me like that!" She said loudly, shoving him gently. "You remind me of my boss!"

"Your boss? Darlin' I am certainly not thinking of you in an employee/employer kind of way."

"So how are you thinking of me?" Cecilia spurted, swallowing another drink without tasting it. She could feel her shoulders growing heavy and her mind slowing and she knew she was getting drunk, but she didn't care. Claire was around there somewhere. She wouldn't get in any trouble. The man leaned in and she could smell his mucky scent, like cinnamon and spice, and something sweeter that she couldn't identify. He was watching her lips, but glanced up at her eyes one last time before brushing her lips with a kiss more gentle than she would have thought him capable of. She pulled away and laughed loudly. "Sir, I don't think I've had enough drinks to let you get away with that." He smiled and turned to the bartender.

"Another drink for the lady." he ordered, and pulled his stool closer to hers, so that his knees came between hers. She laughed and shook her head, but she did drink everything that he ordered for her and by the time they were dancing again she was truly drunk. Their subsequent dances became exponentially more fierce and raunchy, he was holding her to him with such force that she could scarcely stand, let alone dance, but he led her and her mind was free to appreciate the stony muscles of his arms and chest. After several more songs they were both glistening with sweat, his face was buried his her neck and he was peppering her bare skin there with kisses and soft nibbles. He lifted his face a few centimeters and whispered huskily into her ear, "Let's go outside."

"What for?" She asked

"It's bloody hot in here and I'd like some privacy." he said while biting gently on her earlobe. She let him lead her by her wrists to the door and they burst out onto the sidewalk. The chill wind cooled the sweat on her skin which sent a thrill up her legs. As soon as they were outside he led her to the alley next to the bar, Cecilia stumbling along after him. He pinned her to the wall and began kissing her deeply, his body pushing against her and the brick of the building prickling the skin of her back. She could feel a growing hardness and heat from his hips as he pulled her hair gently, sending shivers down her spine.

"Someone will see." She murmured breathlessly.

"No one will see. And fuck'em if they do." he hissed. Cecilia felt a moment of misgiving somewhere deep in her mind, but the forefront was clouded with drink and all she could think of clearly was her own sudden ache of need and the scent of the man bearing down on her. The man lifted her dress up and dragged his fingers delicately up the smooth skin of her thigh, Cecilia moaned quietly despite herself. The man, taking this as consent, continued to work his way up to the crook of her legs, where heat and moisture radiated, and gently rubbed the center of her desire with the pad of his forefinger. Her knees almost gave out as he did so. She had not even seemed to notice the intensity of her desire until he began to relieve it. She groaned and turned her head to the side, letting the cold wall cool her feverish cheek. She egged him on, or at least she thought she did, her voice came in bubbling murmurs and she couldn't be sure that she was actually speaking at all. He seemed to understand perfectly though, as his fingers pushed her sodden lace panties to one side and buried two fingers deep within her, while simultaneously covering her mouth with his, her loud groan of pleasure drowned in her throat as she returned his kiss with equal fervor. He continued to work his fingers expertly until she was almost on the brink of orgasm then pulled them out swiftly, she gasped as the sudden loss. He smiled devilishly at her pleading face before lifting one of her knees towards her chest with one hand while swiftly unbuckling his pants with the other. He thrust himself into her indecorously and the force of it might have been enough to snap her out of her drunkenness, but she was already so far over the edge of reason that she did nothing to stop him, only twined her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer to her. His thrusting was so powerful that the back of her head bumped repeatedly into the wall behind her, so she lifted one arm and placed her hand behind her head to protect it, but he did not stop and soon he had her back to the brink of orgasm, only this time he did not quit, but pushed her over the edge with such force that she might have fallen to the ground had he not been supporting her, she screamed into the night not caring if anyone heard as her body shuddered and quaked against him, not long after his own grunts matchers hers in intensity and at the final moment he pulled himself out of her and emptied himself on her inner thigh, the warm juices hitting her skin with force before trickling down. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she would not have had the strength of body or mind to stop him had he not pulled out. He collapsed against her, breathing heavily against her neck. She clutched his shoulders and held him there, not yet willing to let the moment slip away. they stayed that way for several moments while their breathing went back to normal and then they noticed, for the first time, that it was quite cold outside and they walked back into the bar.

Cecilia ordered herself another drink, worrying that she would sober up too quickly and regret what she had done even before she had time to fully enjoy her mistake. While she was still only halfway through with her drink Claire re-appeared she said angrily "Lets go come Cecy."

"why? what's the matter?"

"My ex is here, he's being an ass. Let's just go ok?"

"Yeah. Okay. Sure." Cecilia said reluctantly. She paid the bartender and turned to the stranger she had had sex with moments before. "Uh....I have to go. Bye.." She said awkwardly. He smiled to her over his drink and nodded.

that night, as the drink began to wear off, Cecilia's beratement of her own stupid behavior was almost enough to keep her from falling into a deep sleep. But not quite, though she knew the following day would be perhaps one of her worst yet.


	5. Chapter 5: The Invitation

Cecilia groaned and rolled over to her side. The red numbers of her alarm clock were the only light in the room. It was 3:30 in the morning. She lifted her head slightly and the movement sent the world spinning. Her stomach lurched painfully and she stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom to vomit. Her body shivered and quaked, she felt as if she was full of mold, she had never felt so awful. She could barely move but she managed to crawl back into the bedroom and rummage through her purse to find her phone. She took it back to the bathroom and vomited again, her bare knees against the freezing linoleum. Finally she was able to dial Claire's number. It rang...and rang....and rang for what seemed like hours before a quiet, groggy voice came over the line.

"What's up?" Claire said in almost a whisper.

"Claire, I think I'm dying. Can you come over?"

"What?" Claire replied, a little more awake now.

"I'm dying!" Cecilia almost yelled. Her small body was shaking uncontrollably and she had begun to cry.

"Honey, you aren't dying. You're hungover. You'll be fine."

"This is worse. You don't understand. Please come. I'm scared." Cecilia said through choked sobs.

"Yeah, ok. I'll be right there. You just stay by the toilet and try to calm down. Everything's going to be fine. Just let me get some clothes on and I'll apparate, ok? I'll be there in a second."

"Okay. Thank you. Please hurry." Cecilia hung up and tried to steady herself with her hands on the cold floor, but to no avail, once the tears come she couldn't stop them. She felt like a child again. A frightened child. It seemed like hours until Claire arrived with a loud cracking sound, dressed haphazardly in jeans and a wrinkled top, her hair a mess of blonde pulled in a lopsided ponytail. She rushed into the bathroom to be met with the pitiful sight of her friend shaking and crying on the floor.

"Here babe, you're okay. I brought some of this potion, It makes hangovers go away instantly. There's no need to be scared anymore." Claire said, joining her friend on the floor and wrapping an arm around her. Cecilia took the potion and swallowed it greedily. She felt a dull coolness fill her veins, but she felt only marginally better. Claire watched her carefully. "Better?"

"No. It didn't work. God, what's wrong with me?" Cecilia exclaimed with a fresh wave of sobs, her head continued to pound and her stomach lurch, the pain seemed amplified by the thought of the failed potion.

"What do you mean it didn't work?" Claire said, unbelieving. "You are still just shaken up."

"No. It didn't work." Cecilia said, punctuating her statement with a fresh round of vomiting. Claire held Cecilia's hair back, sputtering about how it had to work. She had used it herself not long ago and it was a potion she was familiar with, there was no way she had mixed it wrong. If it hadn't worked, Cecilia wasn't hungover. Suddenly Claire had a thought.

"Cecilia, that guy you were with. Did he buy your drinks?" She asked. Cecilia nodded weakly, her head still in the toilet. "And you saw him order them? You watched him?"

"I don't know. What difference does it make?"

"Is it possible that he put something in your drink?"

Cecilia looked up, her eyes wide.

"Oh my god. You don't think..?"

"It seems like a possibility. If that is the case there's not much we can do but wait for it to pass. I can't imagine that any of it is still in your system after that." Claire said, motioning to the toilet. Cecilia didn't look comforted by this. "I'll stay here with you. Lets go back to bed ok?" Cecilia nodded and got to her feet slowly to brush her teeth while Claire went into the kitchen to get a class of cool water. Once Cecilia had brushed her teeth and drank the water, the two girls crawled into Cecilia's bed. Cecilia cuddled innocently up to her friend and Claire stroked Cecilia's hair to comfort her. Cecilia wanted to bury her face into the pillow and never reveal it again. Her bitterness as being taken advantage of, coupled with her fierce embarrassment, on top of the physical pain was almost too much to bear.

"Can you Obliviate tonight from me?" Cecilia whispered.

"I could try, but you might end up with two heads." Claire joked quietly. Cecilia laughed weakly then started crying again. Claire wrapped her arms around her and whispered, "No one blames you, love. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have made you go."

"You couldn't have known what would...happen." Cecilia said "I'm just glad you're here." She didn't know if Claire knew the extent of what had happened, but she thought that she might have guessed. Despite she constant lurching of her stomach and the uncomfortable throbbing in her head that seemed to spread through her whole body, Cecilia fell into the sweet release of a sound sleep.

The alarm went off several hours later. Cecilia sat up and turned it off, Claire mumbling next to her.

"You ok?" Claire said groggily.

Cecilia took stock: Her stomach seemed better and the thought of food didn't repulse her. Her chest was sore from vomiting and there was still a dull ache at the back of her head. She felt much better than she had, at any rate. "Yeah. I'm ok. I've gotta get ready for work. You going to stay here and sleep for a while?"

"What? You can't go in to work. Come back to bed." Claire protested as Cecilia was getting out of the bed and heading to the closet.

"I've got to go. I'll be okay." She answered with more confidence than she really had.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It'll be fine." Cecilia said, pulling out a purple knee-length dress that was soft and almost comfortable enough to be pajamas.

"Well, you do whatever you want, but don't push yourself too hard. I'm going to stay here for a few more hours."

"Okay, I'll leave some coffee for you. Cereal is on top of the fridge." Cecilia said, Claire grunted and fell back asleep.

As Cecilia drove to work that morning, her head swam uncomfortably and she momentarily regretted her decision not to stay in bed. She entertained fantasies of snuggling into the couch with Claire, drinking hot chocolate and watching daytime television. Realistically, however, she knew that Lucius Malfoy was not the kind of man who would be sympathetic to her illness. When she arrived she found that Malfoy was already seated behind his desk, deep in concentration. Panic flashed through her and she glanced worriedly at the clock on the wall.

"No, you aren't late. I'm early." He said without even looking up. Cecilia sighed in relief and sat down behind her own desk. There was a fresh pile of letters there. Before she could begin her work of responding to his correspondences he asked haughtily "Shall we go over my schedule then?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Cecilia stammered, shuffling through a pile of papers to find her neat version of his schedule. "Today you have a meeting with a Mr. Hughes to discuss plans for a new committee at noon. Then at three you are expected to be on the board conference for the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Fantastic." Malfoy said sarcastically. Cecilia chanced a smile and, to her astonishment, he smiled back. A proper smile, not a smirk, the first she had seen from him. It looked perfectly out of place on his face.

Cecilia relished the time alone when Malfoy left for his appointments. She was finally able to rub her temples openly, she hadn't dared show any sign of weakness with him around, certain that it would only be met with sarcasm at best. It was much easier to work without his constant glances and she found that by four in the afternoon she had nothing else to work on. She shuffled papers around her desk, though it was already perfectly organized, she cleaned all her quills, memorized his schedule for the following day, and arranged the old letters in her desk chronologically.

She realized, after exhausting any other trivial work, that an extra tea setting had been laid out on the table by the fireplace. She stood and walked over to it out of curiosity. She knew for certain that he wasn't expecting anyone. Had it been laid out for her? It seemed unlikely. Any small act of kindness seemed thoroughly beyond him. Still, if not her, who was it for? She sighed and let herself fall into one of the comfortable leather chairs that were beside the table. She hadn't been able to dispel the nagging headache that plagued her, and she would take her chances for a soothing cup of tea. She poured herself a cup. Peppermint. Perfect. She took her cup and saucer over to the large window, taking the chance to stretch her tired legs. The fact that the office looked down upon a glorious garden had registered in her mind before, but she had never had the opportunity to fully appreciate it until now. It seemed to span miles and, though mostly colorless due to the season, was absolutely breathtaking. She couldn't imagine ever becoming complacent living in such a place. Surely this kind of awe never wears off, though she couldn't really imagine Malfoy truly appreciating the beauty of it. That thought made her surprisingly bitter. She finished her tea and replaced it on the table before returning to her desk to find something else to occupy her until he came back.

Malfoy returned only a few minutes before six, which is the time that Cecilia went home. He floated into the room and asked if she had finished everything while he was out.

"Yes sir, everything is done."

"Good, you may leave when you are ready."

"Thank you sir. But there is one thing." She said, picking up a letter from her desk and bringing it to him. "It's an invitation to a social gathering for officials of the ministry."

"Ah yes, the Halloween Ball." He said offhand. Cecilia waited awkwardly for him to say whether he would be attending or not. When he didn't, she replied,

"Sir, it asks for an RSVP."

"Would you go?"

Cecilia was surprised, he hadn't asked for his opinion on any other invitation and she wasn't prepared to offer it. "Well, I don't know anybody there so....but I wouldn't NOT go, I should think." She sputtered.

"You will come with me, then." He said decisively. Her eyes widened in shock, but she just nodded demurely, returning to her desk with the invitation. She wrote down the RSVP, adding that Malfoy would be bringing a guest. She sent it out on the owl and with a curt farewell she was excused.


	6. Authors Note

Hey guys. Just wanting to let you know why i've not been writing. I'm getting married in a few weeks and it's been crazy. I DO plan on finishing this though. I know exactly where the story is going, it's just a matter of finding the time to write. Worry not.


	7. Another Authors Note

Hey guys, I'm SO sorry that it's been so long! I'd get those notifications in my e-mail saying that someone added Secretary as a favorite and it would be like a punch to the heart for me. D= I've just been so busy with the wedding then the honeymoon then the holidays blah blah blah. No more excuses though! I am getting back to this story! Stay tuned! And thanks so much for the favorites, I'll try my best not to let you down! 


	8. Chapter 6: Rough

**(I'm baaaack. I hope you like this chapter. :3)**

Cecilia's ride home was mostly uneventful, or would appear so to anyone who happened to see her driving peacefully along, but her mind was in a tumult. A tumult, it should be added, that was not in the least bit welcomed by her still minutely aching head. She couldn't decide if he had invited her to the Halloween Ball because he genuinely wanted her there (unlikely) or if he was doing this just to torment her. The latter seemed much more likely. Surely he was sitting somewhere with a smug expression imagining her inward struggle as she tried to understand his actions. The thought made her blood boil. She couldn't understand why this insolent, arrogant man would have so much sway over her emotions. She simply couldn't keep her cool around him, every little snide glance or remark made her ears burn red and her pulse quicken. She hated her weakness.

When she made it home she saw that Claire was still there. She opened the door to see her friend sitting on the couch watching muggle television.

"Honey, I'm home." Cecilia said. Claire sat up and welcomed her.

"I hope you don't mind that I hung out all day. I got sucked into this muggle telly. What's this called, anyway?"

"It's a soap opera. You watched these all day?"

"Yeah! I love it!" Claire responded enthusiastically.

Cecilia chuckled softly as her friend filled her in on the scandalous and complex backstory of the soap she had been watching. She dropped her purse on the side of the couch and walked into the kitchen to fix a light snack of cheese and crackers. She used magic to slice the cheese and arrange the slices and crackers onto a platter, which she brought into the living room.

"So how 'ya feeling?" Claire asked as she picked up a cracker.

"Much better. Nothing but a lingering headache now. I'm sorry I made you come over in the middle of the night like that."

"It was no problem, don't be silly. As long as you are feeling better."

They ate in silence as they watched the end of the show. Nothing more would be said about that dreadful night for many weeks.

--

The following day, Cecilia woke up and had to rush to work. She wondered if Malfoy would ever realize how often she got to work JUST on time, and if he would tell her off for being disorganized and almost late all the time. Her confidence came back to her when she reached the office to find that it was empty. She thrust open the heavy blinds that had thrown the whole room into shadow. The bright sunlight bursted in and dazzled her eyes. She squinted as she sat down at her desk and got straight to work.

She noted that there was, once again, an extra setting of tea at the low table on the far side of the room.

An hour or so after she got in, her employer swooped into the room, his hair tousled behind him and his face screwed up in what seemed to be desperation.

"What's happened?" Cecilia asked, her voice louder than she would normally keep it due to the surprise of having him come in so quickly.

"I've lost something." He said gruffly.

"Well, here. Let me help you look." Cecilia said, getting to her feet and quickly crossing to Malfoy's desk, where he was rummaging through the drawers frantically. She began looking through piles of parchment that were scattered on his desk. "What is it you've lost?"

Mr. Malfoy stopped his searching suddenly. He let a letter he had been holding drop to the floor, his hand then forming an angry fist. He whipped around to face Cecilia, her eyes were wide and the color was draining out of her face. Without him saying anything, she could clearly see that she had said or done something very wrong. His lips formed a snarl and his eyes glinted dangerously in the blinding light of the room. She had never before witnessed a look of such violent anger. She shrank back, but not before Malfoy gathered up a fistful of the front of her blouse in his fist. He pulled her confused and frightened face close to his mutinous one and growled in a low voice.

"You mind your place. This is none of your concern."

His voice was so low, it was almost like a rumble. Cecilia thought she could feel the vibrations of it deep in her spine. He pushed her back against the tapestry-heavy wall and resumed his search, not looking at her again. She stood there for several moments, dumbfounded. He hadn't hurt her, but her body was frozen as if he had. Her cheeks burned red and hot tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She didn't know if she was angry, embarrassed, or something else, but she knew that she didn't want to cry in front of him. She blinked the tears away, straightening up and arranging her clothes. She crossed back to her desk and got back to work. Her employer continued to search his office, apparently to no avail as, after a solid half hour of searching, he left the room in as much of a huff as he had entered it.

As soon as he left the room, Cecilia dropped her quill and laid her head down on the desk, her cheeks were still warm and her nerves were utterly shocked. Had she known that Malfoy was not only rude and uncouth, but also threw tantrums like a spoiled child, had she known that he felt within his rights to strike out at her, she would never have agreed to work with him. This job was a rollercoaster and she found herself exhausted with it. Some days he would be perfectly professional, hardly saying a word to her. But then there were days like that day, where he would work himself up into a temper and ruin the days of everyone he met with .

Cecilia could hear him fumbling about in a room down the hall. She let herself cry for a few quiet moments, knowing he wouldn't return suddenly and see her. She allowed herself a few minutes' childish sadness, wishing she was still at school, or working at the Ministry. Somewhere safe and comfortable. For those few moments she felt like a lost child in grown up's clothing.

At length, she couldn't cry anymore. She sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She took a few steadying breathe before getting back to work, finding comfort in the methodical scratching sounds her parchment made across the paper and the thought consuming work. It was only until some hours later that she realized that she could no longer hear Mr. Malfoy. It seemed that the whole manor was completely silent. She guessed that perhaps he was just in a far room, but it seemed too quiet even for that. The lack of sound seemed to buzz in her ears. She sat, her ears pricked, and listened until the quiet grew heavy and uncomfortable. Finally she stood and cracked open the window. There was a very slight, but very chill breeze that day. The slight wind came in and licked up the edges of the parchments and lifted the corners of the table cloth on the far table. It wasn't until she had let in this refreshing air that she noticed how dreary and stale the room had felt before. No wonder she had been so downtrodden, all that her bad thoughts needed was a chill breeze.

She worked in peace and relative contentment for the remainder of the day. She didn't stop for lunch or tea, worried that her sad feelings would return if her mind was allowed to wander. She worked diligently.

Just as she was finishing up her work, she heard familiar footfalls coming down the hall. She braced her nerves and tried to look as busy as possible, but when Malfoy came in, he merely stood near the door, watching her. She looked up to imply that she realized he was there, but made no move to speak. Nor did he. They stayed in this uncomfortable silence for minutes that seemed like hours. When Cecilia began to pack her things to go home, Malfoy finally spoke up.

"I had an extra cup brought up for you to have tea." He said, his voice much quieter that it had been earlier, but it retained a certain gruffness, perhaps the result of raising his voice throughout the day.

"Thank you." Cecilia said, not making eye contact.

"Won't you have some?"

"No thanks, I was just-"

"Please." Malfoy said in a tone that he probably meant to sound less demanding. Cecilia put her purse onto her chair and slowly crossed to the table on the far side of the room. Malfoy followed her and poured her a small cup of tea.

"Thank you." She almost whispered. Her downcast eyes were beginning to wear on Lucius. He never did like meek, stupid women.

"Look at me when you speak to me." He said. Cecilia's eyes rose to meet his gaze, which was gentler than she would have guessed it to be after such a harsh comment.

"Sorry." She said, louder this time.

"That's better."

They drank in heavy silence for a bit. Cecilia stared at the rim of her cup while she sipped, but in her periferal view she could see that Malfoy was watching her. He would open his mouth as if to speak several times, but they all resulted in a sigh instead, until finally he spoke.

"I shouldn't have touched you." He said quietly.

"Thank you for the tea." Cecilia said after taking the last few sips in a gulp. She sat the cup down on the edge of the table, gathered her things, and fairly ran out to her car. She didn't know why, but she couldn't bear to hear him apologize for what he had done. She knew she would cry like a weak little girl if he did and she never wanted him to see her cry. She had learned that say that a woman had to be strong if she was to be near him. She must never show her weakness.


	9. Chapter 7: Examination of Character

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews on my previous chapter. It's so fun to come back to this story. It seems like it's becoming more complex than I had originally thought, but I think that's a good thing! More drama! More layers of meaning! In this chapter I wanted to kinda explore what makes Lucius who he is. I want to somehow soften his character without changing it, but just by showing WHY he does the things he does. He is such an interesting character, I am really enjoying writing him.**

**The Halloween Ball is next!**

**Please review, they are the inspiration that keep me writing!**

Lucius Malfoy sat down in his study. It was a dark room, on the west side of the manor, so the sun never came in the windows unless it was setting. The walls were built-in bookcases, all laden heavily with old leather bound volumes. The sun hung low on the horizon, lighting the room in a thick orange glow. His chair was high backed and upholstered in leather that had grown soft and pliable in it's many years of use. The fingers of his right hand were cold as they gripped a glass of aged scotch on ice. He didn't use this room often enough to have it heated throughout the day, so it was quite chill there. He had lit a fire as he came in, but it hadn't had time to sufficiently warm the drafty room.

He took a sip of the scotch, the liquor burning his throat pleasantly. He sighed heavily. On the small table next to his chair there sat only one item, a ring box. He had finally found it in an obscure drawer of the library. Now that he had found the ring, now that he had relaxed into his normal state, he felt like a damned fool for the scene he caused in front of that woman. His ego was wounded after showing her such an inappropriate side of himself. It was unfortunate for him that he was not the sort of man who could laugh off or even talk out a bruised ego. It's difficult for every man, to be sure, but he felt it perhaps even more acutely. His reputation as a proper, steely, perhaps even cold man was well known, but to him it was so much more than a reputation. It was a sense of self, a state of calm that he had cultivated through these long years that he was comfortable in. Lucius detested a show of emotion. Emotions are dirty, common, improper, hardly something a real man should succumb to. Particularly in front of the woman he had plans to seduce in the near future.

He picked up the ring box, replacing it with his drink. He opened the box and stared at the silver wedding ring therein. Even after all those years it still shone brightly. He closed the box again, looking at it made him feel sick.

"Damn it." He grunted as he flung the ring, box and all, at the opposite wall. The box made a loud bang against the wall, the hinge of the it popping open and the ring rolling out as it hit the floor. He watched as the ring rolled under the settee.

Narcissa had come by early that morning, before Ms. Wells even arrived. She and Lucius had been estranged for some time now but the arrogant bitch kept coming back. On this occasion she had come on the premise of collecting some more of her things which she had hitherto obstinately refused to remove from his home, using his space as free storage, no doubt. She had waltzed in without knocking which, though he would never admit this, scared the living hell out of him. He rarely had guests and so to hear his front door open on it's own when the land was still shrouded in darkness before the sun came up was startling. Not that he didn't believe he could overpower any prowler or neer-do-well, mind you, it's just an uncomfortable situation. He had pulled on his housecoat and gingerly tiptoed down the main stairs.

"Who's there?" He called into the dark room, his loud voice belying his apprehension.

"It's your wife!" Narcissa's voice came from the shadows. She illuminated her wand, the pointed light casting severe shadows on her pointed face. "Don't look too excited." She added sarcastically.

With a flick of his wand Lucius lit the candles in the grand chandelier that hung over the stairs and in the sconces on the wall. "What the devil are you doing here?" He asked harshly.

"I've come to collect some of my things."

"Your things? You arrogant slut, you never had any. I paid for everything in this house." He growled through gritted teeth

"Come now, Lucius. You mustn't talk in such a manner to a lady."

"Lady…" He muttered fiercely under his breath as he followed the woman as she roamed in and out of the prominent rooms of the manor. She picked up a few valueless items along the way, a book from one of the parlors, a comb from one of the washrooms, a silver wand case from the dining room, but her real motives in her visit were clear. As she walked, she knew he would follow out of pride. She knew he couldn't have her wandering the halls on her own. He followed her silently, but she managed to fill the space with incessant chatter designed to attack him. She talked mostly of Draco. How often he came to visit her, how well he was doing, how he had supposedly thanked her for raising him so well. Lucius fumed, his face growing wild with anger, but he kept his temper. Only the lowest sort of woman would use her child as a weapon in this way.

"You do realize that he visits me as well." He finally said wish as much derision in his voice as he could muster. At this, she spun around and patted him on the cheek condescendingly.

"Of course he does, but surely you know that no child could love a cold father more than his loving mother." She cooed. Lucius grabbed her wrist, threatening to crush the thin joint in his powerful hand. He watched with animalistic pleasure as her face changed from smug to fearful. "Don't you dare hurt me, Lucius." She said with mock courage, her voice betraying her fear as it rose an octave higher than usual.

"You've done what you set out to do." He whispered menacingly, lowering his face to hers, merely a breath away. "Now leave me." He flung her arm away from himself, she staggered backwards, rubbing the bruised wrist with her other hand, staring at him.

"Leave! Now!" He ordered. She obeyed him, slamming the front door behind her. Lucius stood there staring for several minutes. He chances to glance at the clock and realize that his secretary was scheduled to arrive at any moment. He smoothed his hair and mounted the stairs, it wouldn't do to expose his state to her. Almost as soon as he was secured in his bedchamber he heard the heavy front door creak open, he almost thought for a moment that it was Narcissa come back, but he could tell by the sounds of the footfalls that is was Cecilia. He waited until he heard her open and close the office door before getting himself dressed.

As he dressed he couldn't shake his temper. With every passing moment the affront he ad suffered seem to grow sharper. By the time he had done up his shoes he had formed the idea to find his wedding ring and destroy it. The ring had belonged to his late father and, until that day, that fact had been the only reason stopping him from destroying it earlier. Suddenly however, the thought of the infernal thing being in his home sickened him. Now that the idea had been hatched, his mind could focus on nothing else.

He'd had to find the damned thing first, though. This search, mingled with the high emotions that would plague him throughout the day, led to the scene with Ms. Wells he so regretted.

Lucius leaned back in his high backed leather and took another deep swig of scotch. The sun was almost completely below the horizon now, the main source of light was now the fire in the fireplace which had finally managed to warm the room to a reasonable temperature. He cursed his inability to destroy his fathers ring. Not for any warm feelings harbored for his wife, by any means, but merely the recollection of his parents and their marriage. How had he managed to fail so miserably where they had succeeded?

Lucius drank himself into a stupor in that solitary study that evening, drunkenly pondering what sort of man he would have become had it not been for Narcissa. A kind one, perhaps. Perhaps an even crueler one. He finally succumbed to sleep in the stiff, unforgiving chair at three in the morning.


	10. Dancing

**I humbly apologize for the announced hiatus. There's no excuse. Please don't give up on me or my story. I won't abandon it.**

**  
**Cecilia began packing up her things. Malfoy looked up from his desk, took in her actions, and glanced at the mantle clock in rapid succession. He hadn't realized how late it had become. It was Friday, the night of the Halloween ball. Neither of them had said anything about it, but the prospect of their date hung heavily in the air at that moment. Cecilia shifted awkwardly behind her desk, her purse in hand. Malfoy lifted his eyebrow.

"So, ah....I'll see you tonight then?" Cecilia asked, not quite making eye contact. She had spent the whole of the day wondering if perhaps he had forgotten all about the ball.

"I'll pick you up in time. Please wear something green." Was his reply, uttered in a dismissing tone. Cecilia watched his eyes return to his parchment before rolling her own. The only formal gown she had was black. Of course he would want her to wear green.

"But sir, I..." She was cut off by his steely eyes suddenly locking with her own. He had that same look about him that he always had when dealing with a perceived inconvenience. His look was stern, his chiseled jaw set. It was the look that made Cecilia shrink back in trepidation, but she also realized that it was this very look that gave him his power over people. No one could cross him when his eyes were locked on them. He had a certain power that Cecilia could never really describe. A power that she couldn't admit, even to herself, made her feel just the smallest bit weak at the knees. But fear and love can so easily be mistaken for each other. She knew that.

"Pardon?" He asked in that mockingly sing-song tone he sometimes used.

Cecilia merely lowered her eyes and shook her head "Nevermind, sir." she said, while making plans to go out and buy a new green gown. Sure, one could look at it as her simply obeying her heavy-handed employer, making herself seem weak and subservient. But on the other hand, she figured any excuse to buy a gown was a good one. She nodded to her employer and went off.

-

Cecilia sat down gingerly on the edge of her couch, not wanting to crease her new gown. It was a floor length, emerald green dress with a slight train that clung tastefully to her figure. She had meticulously curled her hair and, with the help of a little magic, swept the tendrils into a glossy up-do. The finishing touch was a small emerald pendant that hung from a black velvet ribbon. She felt fabulously beautiful, an uncommon state of joy that does not allow for worries and doubts. Unfortunately, she had been to eager to get ready and now had some time to kill before she expected him to be there. She poured herself a small glass of wine and sat, watching the clock, humming a familiar melody. As the minutes ticked by she began to feel tension, the physical aspects of it being a tightness at the beck of her neck, subconsciously she began to tap her foot agitatedly.

What a stupid man for not specifying, in exact terms, when he would arrive. Why could she not have just met him there? It's not as if it was a romantic date anyway, after all, he had a wife. They were still together, weren't they? She hadn't seen or heard of Narcissa at the manor. But then, the manor is huge, and surely she has business outside of the home. What if he thought it was a romantic...thing, to take her to the ball. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Why should he have invited HER, and not his wife? Oh god, what would other people think? What if he wanted to dance with her?

Quite rapidly these and many other similar thoughts flashed through her mind and the prospects of the evening transformed from a silly evening to dress up and mingle with superiors into a nightmarish spectacle.

She was on the point of panic when there came a loud pop just outside her front door. Reflexively she jumped up and ran to the door, opening it to find Lucius (freshly apparated) on her front step. She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him inside.

"Are you crazy? This is a MUGGLE neighborhood. You might have been seen, and you were DEFINITELY heard." She said, slamming the door behind him.

Lucius ignored her outburst, his only reaction to it was a rather devilish smirk, he was pleased that she seemed to have recovered some of her initial spirit. He leisurely looked her up and down, sending poor Cecilia into agonizing embarrassment. How idiotic she felt for dolling herself up so, now that she was quite certain that Lucius had different plans for the evening than she had originally thought.

"My, how very dressed up you are, Ms. Wells." He said rather triumphantly. Cecilia blushed a deeper shade of crimson.

"Thank you, Sir." Cecilia murmured, her eyes once again downcast in his presence. She could have kicked herself for being so thoughtless.

Lucius, annoyed at her sudden change in demeanor, lifted her chin up with his hand. "Now now, Ms. Wells, I'll have none of that. We're going to a ball, please be happy." He cooed. Cecilia knew quite well that he was mocking her, but despite that, and despite her own force of will against it, she felt herself being undone by his tender touch. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became irritatingly shallow. She finally managed to force herself free from his mocking touch and painfully piercing gaze after who knows how many long moments.

"Am I really so desperate for tenderness that I would accept it from a man like Lucius Malfoy? A man who, in addition to being completely ill-tempered, only gave it in jest?" She wondered bitterly. She vowed to herself that she would not be caught up like that again.

"I am happy." She lied. "Shall we be going then?"

Lucius' smirk returned before he offered her his arm in order to apparate to the ball.

Cecilia took Lucius' black velvet clad arm, her small hand seeming particularly pale and fragile in the crook of it. "If I get a fined for noise violation, I'll forward the bill to you. Take a car next time" She said curtly. He looked down his nose at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Next time?" He asked

"Let's just go." She said, ignoring his question. Obviously "next time" was just a turn of phrase. Why was he so impossible? Without another word they apparated to the foyer of an almost monstrously large ballroom. Cecilia gaped at how high the ceiling appeared and at the thousands of candles that hung suspended above their heads, casting a flickering but sufficiently bright light that made the gilt furniture seem to glisten. She put a hand to her mouth with widened eyes. "Merlin's beard..." She muttered.

"Pardon? You really do have a problem with mumbling, Ms. Wells." Intruded the familiar voice.

"It's just...wow. This place." She said, ignoring his adminoshment

"A bit much?"

"It's like a dream." Cecilia raised her face to Lucius and, despite her previous feelings, beamed broadly. Taking in the gorgeous ballroom milling with finely dressed ladies and stately men, the music that seemed to waft from everywhere and nowhere, the stars shining brightly through the large windows that made up most of the four walls, had put her mind completely at ease. She could have been there with Voldemort himself and still have enjoyed herself.

Lucius smiled down at her. A real smile. The same one he had given her once before. It still seemed strange and out of place on his face. "I'm glad you think so." At that moment their cloaks were whisked away unobtrusively by ushers. Cecilia watched as he pulled a small box out of his pocket, inside it were a pair of emerald cuff links which he snapped on quickly. He caught her eye and he explained that he had been in a hurry to get there. In a flash he transfigured the small box into a plain but shining silver bracelet. He gently, uncharacteristically gently, took up her hand and clasped the thin bracelet around her small wrist. "It's not much." He said.

"It's lovely." Cecilia breathed. He brought the back of her hand to his lips and barely grazed it with a tiny kiss. Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow, even as her stomach fluttered wildly. He merely smirked over her hand in response and offered his arm to her again to introduce her to some important looking old men.

Cecilia's grin might as well have been painted on as the evening progressed. Every turn of her eye was met with something more beautiful to behold. It was only when Lucius talked at length to any ministry official, his voice raising and lowering in that melodic way that her mind returned to her previous discomfort. He had been introducing her simply as Cecilia, which didn't lend any hints as to what his motives had been for inviting her. Whenever she caught the eye of a stranger her mind flashed with a sudden panic. Suppose they were judging her, thinking her to be the married man's mistress. The panic disappeared as soon as it came when the strangers either flashed a polite smile or looked away. Still, despite her occasional anxiety, she couldn't have wished to be anywhere else. The fine velvet of her employer's sleeve was warm and soft under her hand and strangely, perhaps foolishly, she felt comforted by his nearness. Surely no one would openly call her out in the presence of such a formidable man. Cecilia was beginning to understand the appeal of such a man. Though not for herself. Surely not.

Lucius finally managed to end a particularly rambling conversation with an elderly official. He whisked Cecilia to the other side of the room with as much swiftness as possible without offending the old man. "I should really know better than to address Mr. Blagel. He simply doesn't know when enough is enough. Honestly, he could spend an entire evening monopolizing the company of some poor fellow and never even realize how ridiculous he is." Lucius said venomously. Cecilia looked up to find Lucius' face set like stone in a most unpleasant expression and couldn't contain her laughter. He looked at her sharply, obviously unaccustomed to being laughed at. Cecilia swallowed her chuckles with some difficulty.

"The old man just wants some company." Cecilia prodded. "I found him rather pleasant. Grandfatherly, I would say."

"Well then, you are certainly welcome to stand there and listen to him drone on all evening." Lucius responded curtly.

An awkward moment passed where neither of them said anything. Cecilia fiddled absentmindedly with her necklace, determined not to let Malfoy's ill humor spoil her evening as she let her eyes unfocus slightly, turning the shining room into a glittery blur before her. The music changed, or rather, one tune faded effortlessly into another. A waltz. She briefly imagined a tall handsome man escorting her to the middle of the room and dancing with her. In her fantasy, the man was intense and had a kind smile, and she was exquisitely gorgeous, of course. And then he would kiss her gently and everyone would turn to look at them and clap in celebration. Then he would pick her up in his strong arms and carry her away into the night and he would build a house for them to make into home deep in the forest and he would always come home with a bouquet of wild flowers and then he would....

"Miss Wells?"

Cecilia jumped when she realized he was saying her name. "Yes?" She said, feigning calm.

"Have you heard a word I said?" He asked in a serious tone, but it was belied by a smirk on his elegant mouth.

Elegant mouth? What the hell am I thinking? Cecilia wondered.

"Sorry, sir. I was daydreaming."

"It does seem like something you would do." He responded, but allowed no time for Cecilia to begin to puzzle out what he meant by it before asking her to dance, with a most formal offer of his hand. She took it without a moment's thought. His fingers clasped around hers as he lead her into the midst of the dancing couples. Of course she couldn't turn down such an offer after fantasizing about an almost similar circumstance. Sure, Lucius Malfoy was far from the ideal dancing partner, but any partner is better than none at all.

Her ideas changed when, once they were in place, he pulled her quite a bit closer than was necessary for the waltz. Surely people would they would look and judge. Surely they would whisper.

She tried to pull away slightly to maintain a proper distance between their bodies, but his hand on the small of her back was firm, with just enough strength behind it to make it clear to her that he had intended the closeness, but not so much that she felt trapped. If worse came to worse, she could struggle and he would let her go before risking being seen at a ministry ball forcibly making an unwilling woman dance with him. The thought brought a smile to Cecilia's lips. How ridiculous he would seem.

"What are you chuckling at?" Lucius asked. His mouth was so close to her ear that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

"You." She responded simply.

"I am never funny." He said, only partly in jest

"You could be."

"And what does that mean?"

"Nothing, sir."

Lucius let the subject drop regretfully.

As everyone knows, the most unpleasant thoughts and memories have an uncanny tendency to come up at the most inopportune moments. Just as Cecilia was allowing herself to enjoy her dance with Lucius, thoughts of the man from the bar came bubbling up, unbidden. She couldn't imagine why she would have thought of him at that moment but as soon as she did the now all too familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. She tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind but they kept bubbling up to the surface stubbornly. Suddenly she couldn't stand the man touching her. Her skin writhed under his hands and her head swam. With a soft cry she pushed Malfoy away, her hands against his chest at arm's length and her gaze intent on the floor.

"Please. I don't want...Don't...Please" She murmured at the floor.

Lucius was taken aback. "Good heavens, girl. What on earth is the matter?" He asked, pushing her hands away gently. Her arms fell to her side limply. She was muttering something but he couldn't understand what she was saying. Suddenly he heard her sniff and with a rush of embarrassment realized that she was crying.

"There there..." He said in a low, confused voice. "Let's just get some fresh air, shall we?" When she responded only with a muttered "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arm around her thin waist and led her through the crowd to an empty balcony on the far side of the room. "Shh..don't cry." He kept saying, not knowing what else to do and praying that no one would notice this little scene.

This certainly was not how Lucius had planned that evening. But then, neither was it what Cecilia had planned.**  
**


	11. The Very Important secret

Cecilia was grateful for the cool breeze that lifted the lose tendrils of her hair around her flushed face. She barely noticed Lucius' hand leading her gently to a bench, but she sat down without any prompting. Lucius stood awkwardly, clearing his throat at intervals while Cecilia silently pulled herself together. Being out in the open air helped greatly to settle her nerves, though it seemed not to help Lucius in the least.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what I am supposed to do." He said, incredibly awkwardly. He was obviously trying hard to maintain his usual aloof coolness that he had come to rely on so much, as his face was as stern as ever, but his voice was straining to sound authoritative.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy. I don't know what came over me." She lied "I'm sorry for making a scene."

"There's no need to apologize, I don't think anyone noticed. Anyway, you seem to be feeling better?"

Cecilia wiped her eyes and looked up at Malfoy. "Yes, a bit. I don't know what happened, I just...all of a sudden…" She repeated, her words trailing off into silence.

"Just a temporary lapse of sanity." He answered, his voice perking up as he continued, "It happens to the best of us." Cecilia chuckled genuinely at her employer's jovial smirk, put there surely from satisfaction at making a joke. "Shall I get you a drink?" He asked, a smile still touching the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you. Just water please." Cecilia answered. Lucius bowed his head at her before swooping back into the ballroom.

Lucius welcomed the warm rush of air as he stepped into the fireplace-heated ballroom. He hadn't realized that he had been chill until he felt the warmth in the room. He made a beeline to the long table of refreshments. He heard his name being called a couple of times as he made his way through the crowd, but didn't respond. He had been put out by Cecilia's emotional episode, but now that he had her on the balcony he realized that she was in a vulnerable state and, though he usually took a more direct approach, he could certainly use this time to win her over. He smiled mischievously at the mental image of her lithe body against him as she wept on his shoulder.

When he returned, glasses in hand, to the balcony he was met with the sight of Ms. Wells shivering slightly in the cool breeze. When he had set the glasses down on the rail he took off his jacket and laid it across her shoulders. She seemed surprised at the kind gesture, which irritated him a bit, but her sweet smile and quiet "Thank you" soothed his ego.

He sat down next to her and took a sip of his drink, his eyes on some spot on the horizon. He realized he had been quite arrogant with his plans to seduce the vulnerable woman, as now that he sat there he was quite uncertain what he needed to say to get from this awkward point to the scene he had imagined. Luckily, it was not left up to him to break the silence, for Cecilia spoke up.

"You seem different tonight, Mr. Malfoy." She said, studying his profile.

"How is that?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Not sure." She said. "Nicer, maybe."

"Excellent." Lucius thought. Apparently his plan was working without him even having to try. "You don't think I'm always nice?" He asked playfully. Cecilia chuckled and was silent.

Lucius' returning good humor, however, was short lived. It was shortly thereafter destroyed with a simple question from the pretty mouth of the woman who should have been putty in his hands by now.

"Where is your wife?" She had asked quite innocently, genuine curiosity evident in her tone. Lucius shot her a look of pure venom that she did not entirely deserve, then turned his gaze to an undefined spot on the dark horizon. He racked his brain for some sort of explanation, his mouth worked in vain as he tried to find words to speak.

She continued in his extending silence "I mean, I don't really understand why you wanted me to come here instead of her. Please don't think I'm vain for thinking this," Her voice rose and shook slightly. She suddenly regretted speaking up, she had been lured into a perhaps false sense of casualness by Malfoy's apparent concern and cheerful mood. "I mean, it's just, I know the place is really big but I figured I should have at least seen her by now. Is she…? I mean, are you two…?"

Lucius remained silent, not looking at her.

Cecilia squirmed. "I...I'm sorry, sir. Forget I asked…"

"No." Lucius said firmly, turning to Cecilia at last. He lowered his voice to a softer tone. "It's alright. I knew you'd notice sooner or later, I was just caught off guard." He crossed the small balcony and joined her on the bench before continuing. "You must understand that no one else, save for a very select few, know of our estrangement. Our reputations are still on very shaky ground and at this point we are still just doing our utmost not to draw attention."

"I understand." Cecilia breathed. Her eyes were wide and a thrill ran down her spine at being told a Very Important Secret. For the first time since she met him, Cecilia felt like Lucius Malfoy's equal.

"I trust I needn't go into the details. A lot of things, terrible things, happened to us...and because of us," he said, his voice dropping in what could only be shame "As you can surely imagine the whole ordeal left our marriage a bit...strained. At any rate we are not on friendly terms, though a formal divorce would only cement our status as 'failed witch and wizard.' amongst the stuffy old aristocrats in there." He nodded towards the door leading back inside.

Cecilia grinned slightly. She had always considered Lucius himself to be one of the "stuffy old aristocrats."

He looked so vulnerable. His eyes that were previously so hard and piercing were now soft and downcast. She felt a sudden desire to kiss his cheek.

"Well then, now you know." He said matter-of-factly, his face returning to it's normal stoic expression.

--

To avoid trouble with noise, Lucius apparated with Cecilia across the street from her muggle apartment building. He smirked slightly when she kept her arm in his as he walked with her to her home. As they approached the door he saw her, though she tried to be discreet, bring her house key from her bosom. He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"As I had to run out and get a brand new dress, I didn't have a matching pocketbook." She responded, blushing furiously.

"You bought a new dress? Whatever for?"

"You told me to wear green and, as it happens, I am not so fortunate to have a rainbow of gowns on hand for times like this." She said sarcastically as she fumbled to get the key in the lock.

Cecilia turned back to face Lucius after stepping into her doorway and jumped in shock to find him pointing his wand directly at her chest.

He laughed outright at her sudden fear. A small spark of light flew from his wand and in an instant her emerald gown was deep red.

"What did you think I was going to do?" He asked when she realized what he had done.

"As if you wouldn't jump if you turned around to find a wand at your chest." She said, her heart rate slowly returning to it's previous state of relative calm. "It's a rather girly spell remember." She prodded, smiling. Lucius returned the smile in kind, and Cecilia found that, in the space of a single night his slightly crooked smile had almost begun to look like a natural expression. "Well, I had a fun time tonight. Thank you for letting me tag along." She said.

Lucius reached up and gently twisted a loose tendril of her hair around his fingertip. "It was my pleasure, Ms. Wells." She inhaled sharply but he merely said goodnight politely and turned to leave. Just as she was closing the door, however, she caught a glimpse of a small spark of light and as the door closed she realized that the dress was once again deep emerald green.

She chuckled.

"How like him."


	12. The Same Room

Cecilia came to work a few minutes early the following Monday. She felt the same sort of nervousness that she had felt on her first day of work. She felt as though Malfoy was a different person altogether now, since she had seen a slightly more human side of him at the ball. She had done up her hair and dressed in a pretty red dress all while trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she did so. It was silly of her to be so worked up, but even after the calm weekend at home her mind was still in a tumult over the gentleness he had shown her.

A part of her couldn't help but understand that he had been planning on getting in her pants when he first hired her. There was no denying it now. The blatant stares at the beginning, though he seemed more at ease with her now and seldom made her blush so furiously as she had her first few days of work, made perfect sense now.

Yes, she knew he was a cruel man. That he had planned everything from the start. The tea, the bracelet, the dance...her mind lingered on the thought of his finger twirling the delicate tendril of her hair...

And yet, how could he, and indeed, why would he, have planned to confide his secret with her? Obviously Cecilia could see how the bond she felt with him after being exposed to his vulnerability could have been a part of that plan. Every man must know that the surest path to a woman's bedroom is through her heart. However, despite her reservations as to the genuineness of his character, she didn't see why he should have opened up to her when surely, given time and prowess, he would have had her without having to share his hurts with her. He must have known this. He had surely executed the maneuver many times on many women.

Her temper flared momentarily at that last thought, but she had to admit to herself that it was true. Even had he never shown his gentle side to her, if he had continued steadfastly to seduce her, she would have eventually given in. Even she, who's anger was fueled so often and so expertly by him, could not have denied that he was a handsome man. A strong man, with large hands and an intensity that few men posses. A man with considerable power and prestige.

Still, she was frightened. She resolutely refused to believe that he had any genuine feelings for her, let alone that he loved her. No, of that at least, she was absolutely certain. Was she the kind of woman who could cast aside her emotions for the sake of physical pleasure? He would obviously hurt her in the end. But was the consequence worth it?

She wasn't sure.

She walked into the familiar office. It was empty. She didn't know if she was glad or disappointed. After agonizing over thinking of him during the weekend, the office seemed to take a different shade to her. She breathed deeply and she could smell him, the same scent she had remembered from when he had held her so close in the ballroom. Every inch of the room was His and seemed to exude his influence. Her knees wobbled ever so slightly as she crossed to her small desk.

Lucius watched from an upper window as Cecilia crossed the grounds. She was earlier than usual. He was heartened that she appeared to have paid extra attention to her appearance that day. Her hair shone brightly in the morning light. And she was wearing a red dress. When she disappeared from his sight over the threshold he listened carefully to her dainty footfalls as she climbed the stairs and went quietly into the office. He took a sip of his third cup of tea that morning. It was good to have her in the house again. He had awoken quite early and welcomed the happy anticipation of seeing her again. She seemed a flower blooming in the dark hallways of the old stately manor. Still, it was best to keep her waiting. He sipped his tea slowly.

It was an altogether strange thing, this swelling of joy he felt at thinking of her. He was no sex-starved boy, after all. He had spent many an evening with one slutty gold digger or another. Easy women. Ms. Wells was, without a doubt, his most intricate conquest of recent memory. She was certainly attractive enough to be a harlot, but she seemed to have never figured out that she had grown into a beautiful woman. In her manner and in her expressions was a childish innocence that always caught him off guard. His feelings for her rapidly fluctuated between wanting to wrap her up in a blanket and protect her from the world, and wanting to ravish her fiercely until she bloomed into the sexual creature he knew she could be.

After finishing his tea he decided that she had been waiting long enough. He tied his long platinum hair with a black silk ribbon at the nape of his neck and left his parlor, crossing the long hallway to the office.

"Good morning Ms. Wells." He said kindly as he entered. She looked up from her work and returned his greeting. He was well pleased to see a slight flush on her cheeks as he locked eyes with her. He watched as she gently bit on her lower lip, apparently not sure what to say. The tension between them was now even more unbearable than it had always been. Both of them were remembering the ball, and both of them remarking on the peculiarity of seeing the same person in the same old room, but having their perspectives of each so changed. Lucius was not immune to the awkwardness of the moment and after a few agonizingly long moments, having not come up with anything to say himself, he sat down at his respective desk and worked silently.

Soon it was noon, the morning having passed in general silence, though with no lack of meaningful glances at one an other. Lucius so longed to hold her petite body again that at length his longing seemed to be a physical ache. He saw that Cecilia was straightening her work, preparing to go to lunch. He took the chance to speak up.

"Off to lunch then?" He asked

"Yes, if you don't need me to do anything for you before I go."

"No, nothing." He said, his mind racing trying to come up with a fast plan to keep her at the manor for her meal. Just as she was crossing the room to leave he said, "Cecilia..." The name caught in his throat, he had said it on accident and the name sounded strange on his lips after calling her Ms. Wells up until that moment. She turned her head with eyebrows slightly lifted. "Cecilia, where are you going for lunch?"

"Nowhere interesting. I might get a sandwich at a shop nearby. Or I might just go home and eat." She smiled "I'm never really certain until I get there."

"You know you are welcome to eat with me here." He said, making it sound as if the offer had always been there.

"Oh?"

"Yes, of course. There's less of a chance of you being back late if you don't leave in the first place."

"Oh." She repeated, her eyes dropping. Lucius noticed the disappointment in her face and sought to rectify it in a hurry. Cecilia was a sensitive woman, he vowed to make a greater effort to protect her feelings.

"I'll have a house elf prepare the dining room. It should be duck today. Do you like duck?"

"I've never really had it." Cecilia responded, rather shocked at the fanciness of his lunch plans. Did he always have roasted duck for lunch? She tried to imagine him eating a bologna sandwich. "But it sounds lovely. If you really don't mind, I mean."

"Of course not." Lucius said in an overly polite tone as he rang one of the small bells that hung on the wall behind his chair. Cecilia heard the small twinkling noise reverberate through the manor. "It should be ready soon."

This statement was followed by yet another awkward pause, Cecilia biting her lower lip again. Lucius frowned, he was growing ever more frustrated at the shyness of this conquest. What would he have to do to get her to come after him? Would he have to freaking serenade her?

"Would you like a proper tour of the manor while we wait?" He asked in the most gallant tone he could muster. Cecilia's trepidation vanished into a broad smile.

"Yes!" Was her quick response.

Lucius grinned and offered her his arm. She took it with familiarity, welcoming that same sense of calm that she had felt while taking his arm at the ball. The tour began on the second floor. He showed her it's principal rooms, the library, several beautiful but unused bedchambers, his parlor which he told her was where he usually took his breakfast. He even gave her a glimpse of his own bedroom, which was as sumptuously decorated as all the other rooms but had been imbued with a sense of warmth and use which the other rooms lacked. Cecilia was somewhat surprised to see that the bed was unmade, but then she remembered the state of his schedule when he had first given it to her. Apparently his stateliness did not cross over to the more private aspects of his life. She was glad. Though she still couldn't quite imagine Mr. Malfoy cuddled up in the bedspreads dreaming. Do aristocrats dream at all? A part of her wanted to ask, though of course she didn't.

Downstairs he showed her into the grandest living room she had ever seen. The floors were carpeted in a thick, plush crimson, as in almost all other rooms the drapery was heavy, but today they had been open wide and the sun shone directly in. She had seen many fireplaces already, but all of them paled in comparison to the one here, it was nearly as wide as the left wall and she could have easily stepped inside it. Various curios were displayed tastefully about the room and she wanted to examine each of them. There was a large globe that rotated slowly on it's own accord, a golden birdcage in which flitted about some tiny birds that she couldn't identify, stacks of ancient books placed precisely on elegant side tables...It was almost too much for her to take in at once.

"If I were you, I would spend every minute of the day in here!" Cecilia exclaimed as she bent over to inspect the complex carvings on the legs of one comfortable looking upholstered chair.

"Yes, this room harbors many happy memories." He replied, a bit listfully, his fingers resting atop a delicate writing table. "When Draco was still very young we would all come into this room to open his gifts. Of course when he got older he wanted to spend his holidays away from home, at some idyllic location or another. You may think I am a cold man, Cecilia, but my one salvation has always been my son. I hope that one day he will spend Christmas in this house again." He paused, Cecilia was staring at him with obvious respect and warmth, but he didn't see her. His eyes were firmly trained on his fingers. "However, as you can imagine, once one has invited the Dark Lord into their home, he never truly leaves."

He looked up to find poor Cecilia's eyes wide in fear, her color draining. "Relax, Ms, Wells. It was meant metaphorically. Of course he isn't here now. He's gone." He crossed the room and took her hand "Come now, I shouldn't have said anything, let's go eat, hm?"

Cecilia let him lead her to the dining room, but her mind was elsewhere. Until that point she had managed to put her employer's past out of her mind, he had repented and, though severe, he was not evil. But still, the sudden thought of being in the same house, the same rooms, standing on the same floor that death eaters and worse had stood upon, was momentarily debilitating. He pulled a chair out for her at the fine table and took his seat across from her.

"Honestly, Ms. Wells. You needn't be so wide eyed. I'm sorry I mentioned it. Please let's go back to how we were?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I just...hadn't thought of it until now."

"Well, let's not think of it anymore. I can assure you that it is just as unpleasant for me as it is for you." There was a pause when a house elf in a clean suit came and served them their lunch. Cecilia knew that the elves had not long been paid employees at the estate, but she appreciated Malfoy's kindness in that respect.

They began to eat the meal, Cecilia a bit unsure as to the quality of her table manners. Lucius seemed not to notice though and said nothing for several minutes as he ate. Suddenly he put his fork down and looked straight across at Cecilia, she looked up and was caught off guard by that piercing gaze.

"Do you think that I am evil, Ms. Wells?" He asked.

Cecilia gulped, but then said playfully, "Maybe a little, sir."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, irked a bit by her cheekiness, but at least she was behaving lightheartedly again. Cecilia smiled weakly at him, apparently going through great pains to lighten the mood herself. He smirked in reply.

The remainder of the work day was spent in it's normal fashion. Cecilia took down dictations and replied to letters, Lucius hurried about to various small engagements and complained, and it seemed that a bit of the tension between the two had passed for the time being.

Despite appearances, however, Lucius was more agitated than ever. He had been making such good progress, she had definitely been seeing him in a more positive light, then had had had to go and ruin it all. He beat himself up over mentioning the Dark Lord. How fucking foolish he had been. She'd never warm up to him with THAT in the back of her mind. Still, she did seem to be more casual with him now. He noticed that she had been checking herself more often, which meant that she had been letting herself lapse into familiarity more often as well.

Showing her around the house had had an effect on him that he could not have foreseen. He realized in hindsight that it was because he had never had liaisons with his other women at his own place. It was strange to have a woman walking about in his home. Strange and unexpectedly wonderful.

At any rate, Lucius Malfoy was loosing his patience.

It was almost time for Cecilia to go home for the day when Lucius returned from a meeting.

"How did it go?" She asked cheerily.

"Slowly."

Cecilia laughed. "It's about time for me to leave." She said, melting red wax to seal the last letter of the day. Lucius nodded as he leaned back against his desk, watching her as she finished up and gathered her things.

"Anyway, see you tomorrow!" She said as she began to cross the room. Just as she was heading out the door Lucius caught her by the wrist.

"Wait." He said gruffly. He pulled her to him, wrapping one arm around her small waist and holding her there. With the thumb of his other hand he gently traced the outline of her lips. "Cecilia..." He whispered low in his throat before meeting her lips with his own.

**Author's note: It's about time, am I right? Haha. Please leave a review, they make me so very happy.**


	13. Ask Nicely

**Author's note: It is at this time that I would like to remind you that this fic is rated M for sexual content and language. Enjoy.  
**

Cecilia's body stiffened as Lucius pulled her to him. She felt her eyes widen in surprise as he dragged his thumb along the contours of her lips, leaving behind a trail of heat. When he kissed her, her eyes widened even further, but it was only a few tiny moments before her body completely succumbed to him, though her mind was still in too much shock to make a decision one way or the other. She closed her eyes and let her body go limp against his strong chest. His kiss was firm but gentle as he expertly parted her lips with his own and deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth with uncharacteristic sensitively, he didn't probe too deep or try to choke her as some of her previous boyfriends had done when she was younger. He merely trailed his tongue along the top of her bottom lip. When his tongue finally reached hers, tangling in a fevered dance, she sighed softly into the kiss. It was barely audible, the tiniest mew, but the sound had an instant effect on Malfoy. He moaned, a low frequency vibration that gurgled from deep in his throat, and the kiss became almost frantic. He reached behind her head, taking a handful of glossy curls, and pulled gently. He felt a shudder run through Cecilia's fragile body. She sighed again, louder this time, and he pulled her even closer to him, if that were possible, her soft body now pushing up against his forcefully. He could feel her heart beating, hard and fast, through the material of their clothes, and felt a wonderful surge of self-satisfaction knowing that he was the cause.

The kiss ended slowly, calming down to multiple tender pecks. Cecilia, breathing heavily, let her forehead drop to rest against Lucius' chest, where she felt the furious beating of his heart. He languorously twirled a lock of her hair, sending slight shivers through her body, and rested his cheek against the top of her head. His free arm was wrapped around her waist protectively.

After a few minutes spent in this way, Cecilia listening as Lucius' heart rate returned to normal and Lucius enjoying the clean scent of Cecilia's hair, the two reluctantly broke apart from one another. Lucius locked eyes with her and Cecilia was stunned to see the apprehension there. Of all things she could have expected Lucius Malfoy to feel after a kiss, apprehension was not one of them. Cecilia smiled a little to try to lessen his worry.

"Goodnight," She said, before adding. "Sir."

Lucius smirked devilishly. "You as well, Ms. Wells."

Later that evening, Cecilia was reclining on her couch eating popcorn with Claire, for no kiss is complete for a woman until she has shared the story with her best friend.

"No way! I'm so jealous! What was it like?" Claire gushed after Cecilia had told her.

"...I don't know. It was like...I don't know how to say it."

"Oh, c'mon. Don't be shy. I want to hear all the horny details." Claire said. Cecilia sneered at her playfully.

"Actually, it was rather romantic."

"Oh really? So the stony faced Malfoy has a heart?"

"Or something. I'm kind of worried though-"

"What a minute. 'Or something?' You're naughty." Claire interjected. Cecilia blushed but laughed it off. "Anyway, go on. You're worried?"

"Yeah. After he kissed me I was kind of overwhelmed and was just thinking about getting home and I kind of left in a hurry."

"What? Are you insane? For God's sake, imagine the fantastic stories you could be telling me if you had behaved like an adult and stayed for more!"

"Honestly. I don't know why I tell you anything."

"I'm sorry. I'm being serious now, I promise. What's your worry?"

"What if he thinks I was freaked out? I mean, I was pretty nervous, but I'd rather he not know."

"Hmm...if you left right after he kissed you, as you say, he could have been left thinking he scared you away."

"Yeah. That."

"Well, that's an easy fix. You are just going to have to show him your...appreciation...if you want more of his hot monkey love."

"You said you were being serious." Cecilia said, chucking a couch pillow at her friend.

"You should know me better than to think I'd ever be serious. Seriously though, you best keep this thing a'rollin'. I want more stories." Claire ended.

Cecilia slept only fitfully that night. Her mind shifted dramatically from two extremes. At times she was so angry at herself she could hardly stand it. She knew he was using her. She knew he was still the same cold man he had always been. She couldn't believe how spineless she was, swooning like a romance novel character just because a man kissed her. The other half of the night though, whenever she thought back to the kiss in detail, she found herself so feverish that it was a wrestle not to give in and take matters into her own hands, so to speak.

By morning, she had only managed to come to one dangerous and ill-conceived conclusion. She wanted him. Consequences be damned.

She dressed in a black skirt that fluttered around her knees when she spun and a silk blouse with cute ruched sleeves that she knew flattered the shape of her arms. Her stomach fluttered as she put on her makeup and applied the finishing touches of perfume and the thin silver bracelet. The nerves didn't fade away while she drove to work, and as she walked up the steps of Malfoy Manor she felt that her heart was ready to pound out of her chest. Her legs might as well have been made of jelly as she approached the office and saw that the door was slightly ajar. He was just beyond that door. She could hear him shuffling parchments at his desk. The heavy door screeched as she pushed it open. When she stepped into the doorway she saw Lucius rise to his feet quickly behind his desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy." Was all she could manage. He walked around the desk so that it no longer stood between them.

"Cecilia.." He began as she walked towards him, looking as though he had something to say. Cecilia stepped up to him and placed her index finger on his lips.

"Shh..." She whispered tremulously, the butterflies in her stomach threatening to undermine her determination. Cecilia was just able to gather enough courage to rise to her tip toes and kiss him timidly. She withdrew to gauge his reaction. His eyes were slightly hooded, giving them a sleepy, sexy expression that made it easier for Cecilia to kiss him again, this time taking his lower lip between her teeth. She bit down, not gently, but not enough to leave a lasting mark. This elicited a guttural grunt from Malfoy and he gripped her waist. Breaking free from her kiss, he nuzzled down the side of her pale neck, peppering the soft and slightly perfumed skin there with multitudes of kisses.

"That hurt." He whispered hoarsely into her ear, his breath warm against the sensitive skin. Cecilia smiled wickedly in response.

Lucius growled as he picked Cecilia up and seated her on his desk, shoving a stack of books onto the floor to make room. She wrapped her legs around him instinctively as he continued his journey down the curve of her neck. He followed the seam of her blouse down, over her collar bone, until she could feel his warm kisses just above the tasteful amount of cleavage the top allowed. She tilted her head back in submission to whatever he desired.

Surprisingly, Lucius stopped. He pulled Cecilia's chin down until the two were eye-level. His eyes were like molten metal. She had never seen more beautiful eyes. She cupped his face tenderly.

"This is your last chance to say no." He said simply.

"What a cruel joke." Cecilia answered, meeting his intent gaze. "You've always known that I wouldn't be able to deny you."

Lucius' lips twitched into a devilish grin. He kissed her again, the ferocity of which made their previous embraces seem chaste by comparison. Cecilia knew that her lips would be red and tender afterwords, but at that moment each movement of his lips and each swirl of his tongue sent electric chills down her spine. She reached behind his head, her fingers working their way through the platinum hair, as she urged him on with soft cries and slight, uncontrollable, undulations of her body against his. It wasn't long until he once again gave up her lips in favor of her smooth neck. This time, however, he did not stop at the neckline of her blouse. He reached behind her and found his wand that had been laying on the desk, with it he drew a faint line down the button band of the silk top, the buttons each undoing themselves as they were passed over by the wand. When the buttons were undone he traced the sides of her waist and up over the curves of her breasts with his fingertips, the touch so light it felt like feathers. Then he pushed the blouse off of her shoulders, letting it slide off of her arms and into a puddle of gleaming silk on the lacquered desk. Cecilia arched her back, letting her head drop back in ecstasy as he cupped her breasts, one at a time, kneeding them through the lace of her bra. The smug smile of satisfaction once again painted Lucius' lips when he felt dear Cecilia's nipples tighten into hard nubs in his palms. He unfastened the infernal bit of fabric, freeing her breasts from their confines and immediately replaced his hands with his mouth.

Cecilia took a sharp intake of breath when Lucius grazed her sensitive nipples with his teeth. The pain when he bit down gently was almost unbearable, but was swiftly washed away in waves of unknown pleasure as he expertly caressed her body in ways she had never experienced. In her state of exquisite agony she realized how unfair it was that she was so exposed while he remained fully clothed. She ached to feel the heat of his skin between her thighs. She reluctantly pushed him upright and began to claw her way through what seemed like endless layers of the finest black fabric. Lucius chuckled at her desperation as he finally pulled his undershirt over his head. Cecilia's breath caught at the sight of him, his hair mussed, his lips reddened, and his body as finely toned as she could have hoped.

"Oh, God." She whispered as her hands flew to his broad shoulders and she rested her cheek on his pale chest. Her fingertips trailed down the contours of his arms as she luxuriated in the deep scent of his cologne. He pressed a finger under her chin, bringing her face up to his, kissing her deeply. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled herself closer to him. Her legs were still wrapped tight around him, which had hitched her skirt up to her thighs. He worked his hand up her leg slowly, tortuously slowly.

"Don't tease." Cecilia said breathlessly as his fingers followed the hems of her lace panties, but no further.

"Ask nicely, pet."

She tilted her head back, whispering, ever so quietly, "Please...."

Lucius Malfoy, being at his core a benevolent man, obliged the lady's wishes. He stood back, her legs falling from around his waist and took in the sight of her, helpless and submissive, before removing her moist panties. He tossed them to the side before pushing her down to lie on the desk. He stood, bending over her, between her parted legs. His hair fell around his face as he kissed her. This time the kiss was tender. Soft as a whisper.

"Is this what you want?" He asked in a voice husky with passion as his fingers gently massaged her swollen clit.

"God, yes." She murmured. He slid his index and middle finger into the glistening folds of her cunt and watched as her lips parted in a silent cry. As he began to stroke his fingers within her, he reveled in the gurgling, nonsensical sounds that he drew from her. He played with her, teasing her, for what seemed to Cecilia like an eternity. His fingers expertly coaxing sounds from her she could never have imagined herself muttering.

Lucius' cock was straining almost painfully against his slacks and with his free hand he fumbled with his belt and zipper, finally releasing it. He withdrew his fingers even though Cecilia was panting, hovering around the edge of orgasm. She gasped at the loss, opening her eyes to meet with his. Pleading. But he wanted more than silent begging.

"What do you want?" He asked mockingly.

She moaned as he spread her legs obscenely, pushing her knees up to her sides.

"Tell me what you want." He demanded.

"Please...don't make me say it." She implored, arching her back.

"Say it."

"Please.." Her face flushed in embarrassment even as her body jerked in desperation "Fuck me."

"There's a good girl." He rasped through gritted teeth as he finally plunged into her. She cried out loudly and her hands flew above her head to grasp the far edge of the desk, her knuckles whitening. Lucius moaned, his deep voice reverberating through the room. He fucked her mercilessly, his eyes jealously taking in the view of her breasts bouncing brazenly and the muscles of her stomach flexing and rippling beneath the smooth skin. The sight of his cock disappearing into her swollen and grateful pussy was almost too much for him to bear.

Suddenly Cecilia shrieked, her entire body flexed momentarily before erupting into fierce spasms. She cried out wantonly as her muscles clamped down hard around Lucius' cock. "Bloody hell." Was all he had time to say before she was totally lost to pleasure. Her orgasm was the strongest that he had ever felt, she was a vice around him and he had to pump harder than ever to ride her through.

Her body was still twitching in bliss when Lucius felt the crest of pleasure crash down around him. He shuddered as he erupted into her, thrusting deep, his fingers clasping around her thighs in a grip that would leave five tiny bruises on each leg. Cecilia watched Lucius' face as he came, his eyes were firmly shut, creating those sexy crinkles at the outer edge of each eye. His head was tipped back, his hair cascading about his shoulders. He breathed heavily and grunted unceremoniously through gritted teeth.

At last collapsed on top of her, burying his fevered face in her neck. His softening cock still spasming every so often as every last drop of his warm cum was emptied into her. They stayed together in that blissful halo, each listening as the other's breathing and heart rate slowing down until each was almost delirious with satisfaction.

He drew himself out of her and, resting propping himself up on his hands over her, he grinned.

"Take hold 'round my neck for a bit, love."

She did so without a moment's hesitation. As soon as she did so he apparated with her into his bed. Cecilia's head swam momentarily with the familiar nausea of side-along apparation.

"Some warning, next time." She said, snuggling deep into his blankets, heavy with the scent of Him. He gathered her in his arms and held her close to him.

"Does this mean we get the day off?" She asked, nuzzling into his chest as innocently as a kitten, in stark contrast to her behavior not long prior.

"Don't get used to it." He answered


	14. After

A ray of sunlight disturbed the quiet darkness of the room through a small opening in the brocade curtains and fell across Cecilia Well's closed eyes. She was awake, but barely. She watched the shifting colors the sunlight made through her eyelids. The unfamiliar blankets she was wrapped in seemed impossibly soft, and her body sunk deliciously into the mattress.

Lucius Malfoy was breathing deeply next to her, evidently asleep. He had been holding her before, but his embrace had softened as he drifted to sleep, his arm now resting lithely across her waist. Cecilia's eyes fluttered open and for a moment she was dazzled by the bright ray of light that fell across her face. She squinted as she grew accustomed to the brightness. She lifted her chin to gaze upon the sleeping man next to her and smiled slightly. How like a man, To fall asleep so soon. She wouldn't complain though. Seeing him like this, his face angelic in repose and his pale body tangled in black sheets, was like looking at a marble sculpture. Eros, perhaps. Or David. Only this statue's chest rose and fell with the calming rhythm of distant ocean waves, and his skin was warm and soft to the touch.

Cecilia reached up and ran her fingers gently through Malfoy's cascading locks of platinum hair. Too soft, too perfect. He was impossible. He sighed quietly and a small smile graced his mouth as his eyes opened and met hers.

Cecilia smiled. "Have a nice nap?" She whispered.

Lucius stretched his body, the hard muscles in his arms flexing as he reached above his head. "Mmmm...Yes. I haven't had a nap in an age." He replied, settling back into the bed, turning to face Cecilia. Their noses were only inches apart. Lucius returned Cecilia's gesture, gently pushing a lock of hair out of her face and then twirling it around his finger. Cecilia let her eyes close and she sighed, as he was twirling her hair it pulled ever so gently on her scalp, sending shivers down throughout her body.

Lucius relinquished the lock of hair and it fell silently behind her ear. He cupped her chin in his hand and brought her lips to his, kissing her more tenderly and more gently than he ever had. Cecilia's stomach fluttered wildly. _This is real. This is real. This is real, _She kept thinking over and over again. The man she had once known, the man who had been her stony employer, the man who had been cold and impenetrable, was gone. Before her now was Lucius. Just Lucius, stripped of his influence, stripped of his fortress walls of ego and reputation. She could smell the scent of his skin and the taste of his kiss hung on her lips as he pulled away. She could see, now, more than just the cold blue of his eyes. She saw the lush blackness of his eyelashes and the fine, feathery wrinkles that were beginning to form at the outer corners of his eyes. No more was he merely a construct. Before she had only known the _idea_ of Lucius Malfoy, or what he represented. Now she knew the man. She knew every inch of him.

Cecilia lightly touched the side of his face. For a few gut wrenching moments there hung heavy but silently in the air between them the dreaded question. "What now?" They knew that the next day they would have to go back to that office. They would have to work together again as employer and employee. The path from the bed to the work desk was not a clear one.

"Hungry?" Lucius asked nonchalantly, though he was almost as uncertain as Cecilia was in this new dynamic. Did she expect him to be her boyfriend now? Dear lord. Was she going to behave like a lost puppy now, following him around constantly with those goo goo eyes? He hoped not. He liked her, sure, and certainly no other woman had had such a strong affect on him physically in many many years. But Lucius Malfoy was not the flowery type.

"A bit." Cecilia answered, noticing the slight tightening of Lucius' physiognomy and guessing what he was thinking about. As Lucius rose from the bed to ring for tea to be brought up, Cecilia reveled in the sight of him. His hair hanging loose over his bare shoulders and his nakedness disappearing underneath a scarlet robe. After he had rung one of the small bells that resounded unabrasively throughout the house, he turned back to her and caught her smile. Cecilia chuckled and raised her hand to her forehead in a sign of disbelief. Lucius laughed with her. "This is absurd." She whispered mostly to herself.

Lucius caught her eye and she smiled, chuckling softly. Her laughter spread to Lucius and the awkward tension melted away as they laughed at it together.

"Accio clothes" Lucius said, brandishing his wand. Seconds later Cecilia's clothes came whizzing into the room.

"Thanks." Cecilia said with a smile as she stepped out from under the lush covers of Malfoy's bed and stepped into her clothes slowly. She was well aware of her boss' eyes on her as she dressed. Her face flushed. He remained in silence, staring. She sighed heavily as she buttoned the last button of her blouse, releasing with the sigh a store of pent up stress. It felt good to be herself again in her normal clothes. The layer of fabric between her vulnerability and Malfoy brought her back to Earth. He wasn't a god. He was not soft. He was the same Lucius Malfoy. Now that it was over, she once again raised her defenses. No matter how much she would have liked to stay unguarded, to cuddle unto his arms forever, to pretend that now things would be different, she knew it was a recipe for ruin.

She couldn't help but blush furiously when a house elf arrived with a tray of food. Logically, she knew that the house elves had seen more scandalous things in the Malfoy Manor than a hired woman fresh from Malfoy's bed, but her embarrassment couldn't be warded off by logic.

They ate their meal of exotic cheese and flaky crackers in mostly silence. Each of them clearing their throats every so often. Each of them glancing around the room rather than catch each other's eyes.

Cecilia's face was hot with elation, elation at being witness to the stony beauty of Lucius Malfoy, but it also blushed with something else—shame—when Lucius stroked her cheek kindly before she left that day. She was happy in the way that only utter satisfaction can create, "_but at what cost?" _She thought to herself as she drove home. "_Heaven help me now."_


	15. Tomorrow, my pet

Lucius leaned back in the high backed leather chair. A large fire was roaring in the fireplace. With no other light source to lessen the effect, the light flickered madly on the walls. The already moody furnishings were made that much more foreboding by the orange glow. She had said she loved this room above any other, but she had never seen it like this. He exhaled, letting his body sink deeper into the chair, and imagined Cecilia. He imagined her seeing this room, the bright orange light made garish by the sharp blackness of the many shadows. He imagined her eyes wide and her body trembling with fear at the thought of the things that had taken place in this very room. He imagined the warmth of her small hand grasping his, but the tremulous bottom lip betraying the fear she harbored for he himself. He smiled and took another sip of the amber brandy he held in his pale hand.

Yes, she was frightened of him. It was expected. And welcome. Women like her, with their round eyes and childish, pouting lips, are especially alluring when their features are slightly exaggerated by fear.

The following day, Cecilia woke up early after a night of sound sleeping. She rolled out of bed and stretched her arms above her head with a goofy grin on her face. She wriggled her toes into the carpet and enjoyed the sounds of the morning birds outside her window and the blue early morning light that filled her apartment. On entering the bathroom for her shower, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She told herself it might just be in her mind, but she thought she looked prettier then, in her rumpled nightgown and mussed morning hair, than she had in a long time. Her face seemed to be glowing. She laughed to herself as she stripped off her nightgown and stepped into the shower, Claire's voice ringing in her mind "_See? All you needed was a good shag."_

A good shag, indeed. She chuckled again as she poured shampoo into her palm.

Her good spirits could not be choked out even by her trepidation as she reached the Malfoy Manor in her car. At that moment, she didn't care what Lucius would do. At that moment she felt pretty, desirable, sexy even. No matter what he could say now, he couldn't take back her memory of the look in his eyes when they had kissed. She would have that memory forever to remind her that she, little C, had turned on one of the most powerful Wizards in England.

As it turned out, however, she needn't have worried what Malfoy was going to say. He showed up late (Cecilia checked herself when she found herself brooding over this fact. This was his home, after all. He had every right to show up whenever he wanted to.) And when he did burst into the office it might as well have been her first week working there again. He swooped into the room in his normal extravagant manner, dropped a small stack of letters on the corner of her desk, and seated himself behind his own desk without a word. His expression was as impenetrable as ever. Cecilia smiled at him while his eyes were scanning an important looking document. She was glad. Glad he was the same old Mr. Malfoy.

Lucius was less content. He had to focus all his efforts and attention on the terminally boring work set before him because he had unofficially taken a day off the day before. He, not being the type to take personal days, had underestimated the trouble that being one day behind would cause. He sniffed pissedly at his quill which had just spat an ugly blot of ink on his fresh bit of parchment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cecilia look up at him. He smiled sarcastically at her as he crumpled the ruined parchment in his hand and disintegrated it with a touch of his wand. He shouldn't have looked at her. He had thus far been able to avoid doing so. Her hair was in loose curls which had been hastily swept up into a ponytail with several shorter locks of hair falling gracefully around her face. It shone in the warm sunlight that came in the window behind her. She wore a pencil skirt, one shapely leg draped over the other, her toes silently tapping on the carpet to a tune that only she heard. He guessed that she had a song stuck in her head because the hand which wasn't grasping a quill was gently tapping on the desk to the same beat. He wondered what song it was. Or if he even knew it. She was younger than he by quite a bit (He smiled at the slightly scandalous age gap) and must know many songs that he had never heard of. Hell, he didn't even know any songs from his own generation. The only music he ever listened to was played by string quartets at gatherings of stuffed shirt aristocrats on their birthdays or some such nonsense. He imagined her lounging on an unmade bed listening to music, her eyes glazed over, absorbed by the sounds. Her bed would be a mess of soft cotton blankets and overstuffed pillows. She'd be wearing a thin camisole and red lacy panties. She would be drumming out the beat with her hand on her toned stomach.

Lucius shook himself imperceptivity. Dammnit.

He forced his attention back to the dry paperwork on his desk. It wasn't long, however, until his relative calm was once again destroyed. Cecilia stood up, bent over to finish taking a short note on the desk, and crossed to him with a stack of papers in her arms.

"I've finished these." She said quietly. This is a feminine trick, Lucius knew this. She lowers her voice so that her prey has to lean in slightly to hear her, which achieves two things. First, he gets a slightly closer look at either her eyes or her chest (depending on the man and the assets of the woman playing the trick) and secondly, the man gets a whiff of the woman's perfume. He fell for the trick, of course. She was wearing a push up bra (he approved) and a slightly musky floral fragrance. His blood pressure spiked sharply.

"Good. Thank you." He answered curtly.

She caught his eye as he spoke. Her breath caught. Yes, he was beautiful. Almost impossibly so. He was like a marble statue—gorgeous, but untouchable. She hesitated, biting her bottom lip, before turning on her heel and returning to her desk. Her knees wobbling slightly. As she sat, she felt drunk. How could she work like this? She couldn't focus on her work when she could hear his thoughtful sighs and the occasional shifting of his weight. He was so cool, so calm. He barely even looked at her. A monster! Something inhuman. A monster with a crooked smirk and sharp, piercing eyes that saw without looking.

Hours of mostly silence later, the clock struck five. Cecilia exhaled through pursed lips. Thank goodness it was over. But, oh, how she wished it wasn't. How can two such contrasting thoughts exist in one mind, in one moment? She gathered her things, which drew Malfoy's gaze. She could feel his eyes upon her without looking up. Straightening, she hefted her purse onto her shoulder.

"Tomorrow, then?" She managed by way of farewell.

"Tomorrow." He replied, but he rose from his seat and came around his desk towards her. Cecilia felt her heart start to pound as he came closer, taking her waist in his arm and lifting her chin up to him. She closed her eyes and leaned against him. She could feel his breath on her lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow, my pet. Please wear something nice as I will be taking you to dinner when we have finished here" He whispered softly before dropping his arm to his side and turning back to his desk.

Cecilia almost lost her balance and her temper flared as she watched him walk away. She just managed to gather enough strength of will to set her jaw and leave with her dignity intact.


	16. Turn slowly

Cecilia rolled the silk stockings up over her knees and fastened them to the garter belt clips that hung at her thighs. Lucius Malfoy, of all people, would appreciate the matching set of delicate white lace panties and bra. She smiled triumphantly at her reflection. In this state of undress she sat down at her mirror and began applying her makeup carefully. The early morning sun was streaming through her partially opened blinds, making light and dark horizontal stripes on her undecorated bedroom walls.

She applied a heavy layer of ruby red lipstick, it was waxy and heavy on her lips. She leaned back and studied herself. No. This was too much. She rubbed off the lipstick onto the back of her hand. Try as she might, she couldn't make herself believe that she was any sort of vixen. The lipstick didn't suit her. In it, she didn't know herself. Cecilia's stomach turned uncomfortably. Was she making a mistake?

Maybe this was all a horrible idea. Sleeping with her boss, first of all, was entirely out of character for the Cecilia Wells that she thought herself to be. Secondly, one had to take into account just WHO the boss in question was. This wasn't some cute ministry errand boy. This was Lucius Malfoy. Mean, calculating, arrogant, and evil. Yes, evil. If there still existed in the wizarding world someone who was once truly evil, it was him. No matter how hard he worked to regain his standing and public esteem, some part of him would always be the soulless eyes behind the grimace of a death eater's mask.

She shivered.

But still. She had looked into his eyes and seen warmth. She had seen his those eyes roll back into his head in pleasure. He was human. Just a man. A man who, in his own slightly twisted way, was trying hard to be Normal again. She couldn't help but admire him. And, as bizarre and backwards as she knew it seemed, she wanted to take care of him. Natural feminine instinct, she figured. She had seen him vulnerable on the balcony at the Halloween ball. In pain. Her heart swelled stupidly and she wanted to wrap him up and pat his head as he cried onto her shoulder. She supposed her ego was stoked by the idea of being The Woman Who Tamed Lucius Malfoy.

She put her makeup away and stood up, examining herself one last time before sliding the black dress over her head.

The clock on the mantelpiece finally struck five o'clock. Cecilia put her quill down and looked towards Lucius. He was sitting at his desk writing something, evidently not having noticed the time. Cecilia straightened, her hands fidgeting in her lap, and her feet crossed awkwardly at the ankles. She was trying to look nonchalant while she waited for him to make the first move. Trying, and failing. Malfoy smirked when he looked up to find her waiting so anxiously.

"Impatient?" He drawled.

Cecilia sniffed and uncrossed her legs, the familiar blush rising to her cheeks. Lucius felt a thrill run up his spine every time she did that. She looked like a scolded schoolgirl when she blushed. He was picturing her in an impossibly short plaid skirt, knee-high socks, and pigtails as he leisurely sorted the things on his desk before rising. She stood up as he did. As she walked towards him he allowed himself to study her openly. His eyes lingering obviously on the gentle slope of her neck and more obviously on the swelling of her chest in the not-entirely-office-appropriate dress. She blushed again and he smiled. When she came within reach he tenderly caressed the place just below her ear where her jawbone began with the tips of his fingers, but he wore an expression that was too fiery for the light touch. He felt her tremble and his smirk returned. He lowered his head and touched his lips to her earlobe. Cecilia's shiver was harshly interrupted by the stomach churning sensation of side-along apparation.

"Damn it, Lucius!" She exclaimed, pushing him away from herself. "How many times have I told you to give me warning when you do that? Making her feel like she's going to be sick isn't a good way to woo a woman."

"Woo you?" He said, his eyebrow shooting up and a grin on his lips. Cecilia sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes. For all his evilness, he could certainly behave like a schoolyard bully at times.

Finally, Cecilia took in where he had taken her. They were in what looked like a very old gazebo which was alone in the middle of a tiny island protruding from a large body of water. Waves washed up only feet from the old structure.

"What is this place?" Cecilia asked, wondering if they were anywhere near England still. There was no land within her view. They might as well have been in the middle of the ocean, and she realized that that was not entirely unreasonable.

"It's just a place." He answered with a non-committal tone.

"It's lovely." She breathed, noticing the small wooden table behind her laden with wine and elegant looking food.

Lucius led her to the table and she was seated. He poured a very dark wine into a crystal glass for her before sitting down across from her.

"Did you do all this?" She asked, taking a sip of the wine.

"My, you are full of questions." He answered. "As a matter of fact, I have house elves who do these things for me."

"You do this often then?" Cecilia asked angrily.

"Whether I do or not isn't important." He answered cruelly.

Cecilia's heart sank as her temper rose. He was watching her steadfastly, not allowing for their eye contact to be broken. That impossible smirk was still on his face. She wanted to slap it right off of him.

She hated herself for wanting him even more with the thought of unknown competition from other women.

"How do you like the wine?" He asked nonchalantly

She gathered herself and smoothed her features. If he wanted her to fight for him, she would. "It's nice. I've never seen a wine so dark."

Lucius nodded as he poured himself a glass. "And you like the location?" He asked, sweeping his arm around him to the water all around them.

"Yes."

"And the food looks nice?"

"Yes, sir. It's all quite to my liking." She laughed.

Lucius smiled.

When the food was gone and several glasses of wine drunk, Lucius swept his wand over the table and the dishes vanished.

"You look very nice today," He said, pushing his chair back from the table.

"Thank you, sir." She whispered back. He was staring at her again. Searching her. Appraising her. Her heart was in her throat. What did he see when he looked at her?

"Stand up. Come here." He ordered, only a hint of gentleness in his tone. She obeyed, his eyes had grown cold and slightly frightening. Her legs felt weak beneath her as she stood and went to stand in front of Malfoy.

"Now do a turn." He said, twirling his finger in the air and leaning back in his seat.

Cecilia flushed, her fingers forming tight fists. She felt as if the temperature had turned suddenly quite a bit warmer. What could she do but what he ordered? She turned.

"Slowly, Ms. Wells." He drawled.

She shut her eyes and slowed. She could feel his eyes on her as plainly as if he was physically touching her. Her skin was tingling and she felt her instinctual objections to being ogled like a new bought calf give way to a deeper instinct. He could do so much without even laying a finger on her. Her body ached to experience what he could do _with_ his hands.

She completed the turn, having been thoroughly appraised, and opened her eyes to find Malfoy smirking devilishly. "Very good." He growled. He reached forward and caught her wrist and pulled her down on top of her, her legs straddling his hips. She gasped as he did so but he shut her up by pulling her head down covering her mouth with his. Her requisite protest melted into a tiny moan as he kissed her. She twined her fingers in his hair and kissed him back earnestly. His hand went to her chest and he feverishly fondled her soft breasts. Her hands formed fists in his hair and she gasped. He chuckled and suddenly pinched her nipple firmly through her clothes which made her squeal delightfully.

"I've missed you." he whispered. Without warning he shoved her back and she cried out as she fell to the ground, only to be caught at the last possible moment by a soft silk covered mattress. He took advantage of her moment's confusion to strip off his smart jacket and untuck the shirt beneath. He lowered himself above her and a slight, sweet smile of trust came across her face. He kissed her on the forehead, on the cheek, on the neck, teasing her. She responded with a pout and hands grasping desperately at the front of his pants.

"You are a bit of a slut, aren't you, Ms. Wells." He said.

She shot him a fiery look. "You did this to me."

He grinned at himself as she finally managed to free his straining manhood from his clothing. "Good girl." He groaned as she wrapped her small hands around his shaft and began to stroke him. He let her carry on, darkly whispering encouragement into her ear, for a while before lifting himself onto his knees over her and lifting her dress over her head. This revealed her provocative lingerie . "Very good girl."

She giggled and he attacked her, freeing her breasts from the lace bra and reaching down the pure white matching panties. His eyes greedily soaked up the look of abandon on her sweet face as he made flickering circles around her swelling clit. This was the best moment. The moment when she gave herself to him completely. He placed his middle and index fingers at the entrance and pushed into her. She arched her back and pushed down to meet his thrust. His cock twitched violently at the sight of dear, sweet, Cecilia looking like such a little whore with her slim legs parted wide and her round eyes locked with his in a silent plea for more. He fingered her expertly, his greedy eyes watching her every facial contortion, her every mindless pinch of her own nipples, until her cries became louder and more gutteral. He removed his fingers and gruffly flipped her onto her hands and knees. "Not yet, girl." He growled as he finally peeled the moist panties over her smooth ass which she was pushing up wantonly. He pushed the fabric down to her knees and gave her finally exposed pussy a lick. She cried out. Rising to his full height on his knees, behind her, he spanked her. The loud slapping sound resounding until it was drowned out by the sound of the ocean around them. He smirked at her gasp and smiled at the ensuing cries of pain and pleasure with the following spanks. After a while the sight of her reddened ass and her glistening lips beneath was too much for him to bear. He pushed the head of his almost painfully throbbing cock to her opening. He heard her breath catch in anticipation just before he thrust himself into her.

Cecilia threw her head back, her hair whipping against her back. Lucius grasped a handful of it and pulled it as gently as he could in his fever as he fucked her raw. She came almost immediately, her body bucking wildly and her pussy clamping down like a vice around him. He rode her through it, not slowing as her spasms relaxed into a breathless submission as he continued to fuck her. Her head fell to the side now, prevented from lolling down by the firm grasp he still held on her hair. He gave one final thrust before pulling out and erupting on to her back. Her gasp when the first shot splattered against the small of her back sent Lucius even further over the edge and he grasped her waist firmly enough to hurt as he spilled the rest of his cum onto her glistening skin.

When he let go of her hair and waist, she collapsed onto the mattress, her taught stomach rising and falling with her heavy breathing. He lay down beside her on his back, looking up at the darkening sky. He did not move or speak, but waited for her to move up to him, nuzzling herself into his arms.

"Don't fall asleep, pet." He whispered "I think it might be a long night for you tonight."

The promise rang in her ears as she shut her eyes and breathed in the heady scent of Lucius Malfoy's skin mingled with the saltiness of the air.


	17. I would protect you

Lucius leaned forward in his seat, leaning on his elbows on his desk. "Ms. Wells." He chimed. Cecilia looked up from the work she had been absorbed in, her curls bouncing around her shoulders at the swift motion.

"Yes, sir?" She asked. Malfoy grinned, he has always enjoyed it when pretty women addressed him as such, but it was even better with Cecilia. The childish expression when she said it, full of earnest anticipation, ready to do whatever he asked of her, stirred the beast that laid in wait within him. Many women are adequately talented at faking this expression, but they tend to overdo it in sweetness. It clearly came naturally to Cecilia Wells. Her features were well suited to submission.

"While I am at the meeting this afternoon, I shall need you to run some quick errands for me."

He noted the slightest hint of disappointment on her face when he said this and felt triumphant. She had begun to notice a pattern in him; that he liked to create an air of dominance when he was expecting…intimacy with her. She had come to notice that when he wanted it, he would tend to address her as Ms. Wells, as opposed to the more familial Cecilia. She knew to return the gesture. But he liked to keep her a little off balance. This trick of making her think he was preparing to take her, than throwing out some menial task for her to do instead, kept her under his dominion.

She still worked for him, after all. Even if he would rather be undressing her than reciting dictations to her most of the time. Letting her get too comfortable in the roll of "lover" would ruin the pleasure he had in controlling her.

Several weeks had passed since they had first crossed the line of professionalism in their relationship. In that time they had come to an unspoken understanding. Lucius understood that Cecilia enjoyed being dominated, but expected an underlying respect of her innate independence, and Cecilia understood that Lucius needed to be in control, sexually and professionally, but at his core he didn't believe her to be ultimately inferior to him. It worked. In it's own twisted way, their relationship was comfortable.

Were they a couple? Not officially, obviously, as Malfoy was still technically a married man. Were they work partners who fucked almost as often as they collaborated on official letters and inquiries? Absolutely.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy." Cecilia replied with a dutiful nod before once again turning her attention to the letter she was replying to for him.

Cecilia's head swam and her eyes glazed over as the words of her letter faded into memories of Lucius. She was on edge even more than usual that day and was having a difficult time staying on task. Every hour or so she would be struck by the unreality of her present situation. She was trying to imagine what she would have thought if she had known, when she first applied for this job what she could was really walking in to, what she would have thought. Obviously she wouldn't have believed it. What's more, she might have been disgusted. She had practically hated Lucius Malfoy before, and actually, as backwards as it seemed, she still harbored some instinctual dislike of him, but now it seemed to fuel her attraction to him. He was so completely different from her. So opposite in so many ways. So irritatingly contrary.

But, oh, he was tremendously attractive. She wanted to kiss the ever-present smirk on his face as often as she wanted to slap it off. The more she gave in to his strange charms, the more beautiful he became in her eyes. Now, she could think of nothing that could be more sexy than the muscled hardness of his arms, or the dark expression of his light eyes. No model, no rock star, no movie idol, could hold a candle to Him in physical magnetism. Every fantasy he now had revolved around Him. The most arousing thing she could think up was Him in entirety.

She could only admit the danger of this to herself subconsciously. Somewhere deep in her mind she knew that to be so completely conquered by one person was a disaster waiting to happen. Should he spurn her, she would be devastated. She would lose a sense of her identity. Some part of her would die with this relationship.

Unfortunately, once she could see this truth, it was too late.

Lucius stirred. She looked up. He was watching her intently, she wondered how long he had been like that.

"Yes?" She asked.

Lucius smirked and Cecilia's heart flipped. "Come here." He demanded quietly. Cecilia smiled and went to him. She sat on the edge of his desk. "You are a very valuable girl, Ms. Wells." He drawled.

"You think so?"

He nodded and slipped his hand under her knee-length skirt and fiddled absently with the top of her stocking. "You truly are. You always do just as I say * and if you aren't following my directions, you are somehow doing just what I need you do to without my asking at all."

"That's a very kind thing to say, sir." She replied

Lucius gently drew her down to him and kissed her on the forehead. "You see," he whispered "I am flattering you now because I have a very important task for you to take care of before I can do one more mindless bit of business today, or I might very well go completely mad." He kissed her on the mouth, shifting her off of the edge of the desk and taking her hand in his own. Cecilia's heart pounded as he led her hand to his groin. She immediately wrapped her fingers around his already stiff shaft. "Ah, see? What did I tell you? You always know what I need." he said mostly to himself as Cecilia fell to her knees and undid his zipper.

Cecilia got the answer to her previous question of how long he had been watching her at her desk, his cock springing out of his pants. Apparently long enough to get especially turned on. She wrapped her fingers firmly around the base of the shaft while she timidly nuzzled the tip, peppering it with excruciatingly soft kisses. Lucius groaned and tried to push her head down to take him into her mouth completely, but Cecilia resisted. Teasing him by only taking the head into her warm mouth, swirling her tongue around and around. He endured the torture only so long before taking a handful of her glossy curls and forcing himself into her mouth, making her gag quietly as the end of his cock squeezed itself slightly down her throat. He felt her throat muscles contract as she tried to gasp before she managed to remember to breathe through her nose and grunted with pleasure.

Cecilia mewed as she began sucking him up and down, letting it get just about to pop out of her lips before plunging back down until she just couldn't take anymore of his length. Cecilia moaned around him, the clean and slightly salty taste of him making her wet. The moan sent vibrations around his shaft and Lucius showed his appreciation by tugging slightly on his fistful of her curled and growling like some predatory animal. He whispered encouragement in a deep tone, twisting and commanding Cecilia's arousal with his calm profanity.

With his free hand he reached down and pinched her nipple through her clothes, rolling the hardening nub between thumb and forefinger. This triggered another delicious moan from the woman. Watching her sweet head bobbing in earnest, with her plump red lips wrapped around his dick and with her sexy groans and whimpers sending electric waves down his body, he soon lost control. In one swift motion he pushed her head down and thrust his hips upward, the poor girl flinching and trying to relax her throat so as to keep from gagging as he rammed his dick down her throat. He cried out in vicious ecstasy as he came down her throat, not even affording her the change to taste him as it happened.

He relinquished her hair and she slid her mouth off of him. She looked up at him and smiled as she needlessly wiped her lips on the back of her hand. "Well done." He said, smoothing her hair. Cecilia laughed as she re fastened his belt and got to her feet. She regained her position on the edge of the desk. Lucius, adopting an expression of disinterest, made a show of going back to work directly. His ploy was belied by his frequent glances and uncontrollable accompanying smirks to the the woman on his desk.

"Tea, Mr. Malfoy?" She said after the space of a few moments.

"Yes." Was his mockingly curt reply. Cecilia stood and rang the small bell to call for tea, which was brought up directly.

They left their desks to enjoy the other half of the office that was so often ignored. The fire made it considerably warmer on the side of the room with the upholstered chairs and tea table, Cecilia took off her blazer and scooted her chair even closer to the fireplace, the heat of the flames licking at the side of her face. She poured Malfoy's cup of tea before pouring herself a cup and settling into the comfortable chair.

"I'd very much like a new desk chair." She said conversationally over her teacup. "The one I have now kills me. I have such trouble getting to sleep because of it."

'"If you are very good, perhaps I'll get one for you." He replied, smiling at her, his eyes shining.* Cecilia raised an eyebrow. Lucius chuckled as he took another sip of his tea. "Don't pull faces, Cecilia, You will get your chair. You can be sure of it. In fact – though I know it's foolish of my to tell you, but i find it too remarkable to keep to myself, I honestly believe that you could get anything from me by just asking. I feel like I could not possibly deny you anything."

"You shouldn't have said anything. I've really do need a new car, you know." She replied jokingly. They both laughed, then turned their attention to the pleasantly crackling fire in the hearth.

After a long, but comfortable, silence, he continued: "What's more, I have found that I feel quite inexplicably responsible for you. I hesitate to call it a paternal feeling, for obvious reasons, but I can't think of a more fitting word for it at the moment. I feel…that I want to protect you."

Cecilia caught his eye and was moved by the earnestness so openly displayed in his expression. She suddenly got the feeling that this was a very important conversation. One that she would remember for a very long time.

"And you could. I'm sure you could. Protect me, I mean." She tried to continue, but sputtered. She tried again "I mean, I'm not sure what I need protecting from, really, but I feel very safe when you are near." She suddenly beamed at Lucius "No one would dare to be mean to me while you're around."

Lucius laughed, his ego pleasantly inflated. He got up and scootched his chair close to hers. "No, they certainly wouldn't. I would defend you." He took Cecilia's teacup and saucer from her and placed it on the tea table then gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. HIs eyes were searching hers in a way that they never had before. Cecilia felt strange, lightheaded, she felt that she was ready to cry and she didn't quite know why. All she knew was that he looked different to her all of a sudden and she was deliriously happy. Lucius' lips curled into a small smile just before he kissed her. Lucius' stomach flipped when his lips touched hers in a way he hadn't experienced before. For once he didn't want to strip her clothes off, all he wanted was to kiss her. Nothing more. Nothing less.

A deafening _CRACK_ destroyed the moment so suddenly that both Lucius and Cecilia jumped to their feet.

"Lucius, darli—"

Narcissa's shrill voice stopped mid-word.

"Narcissa…" Cecilia whispered

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lucius sputtered, aghast, his anger only just gaining strength over his statement.

"For all intents and purposes, this is just as much MY house as it is yours." She recited, not taking her fierce eyes off of Cecilia, who was squirming in her shoes, her eyes on the floor. Narcissa walked silently towards the trembling girl, paying to attention to Lucius as he attempted to step between the two women. She got within inches of Cecilia's downtrodden head before viciously grasping Cecilia by the chin and forcing eye contact. Cecilia's face was white with bewilderment and her eyes wide as saucers as Narcissa's murderous gaze bored into her.

"Who are you?" Narcissa demanded in a low tone with an undeniably murderous tone.

Cecilia sputtered.

"She is my assistant." Lucius cut in, desperately trying to direct his wife's wrath to himself.

"Assistant?" Narcissa asked, her voice getting higher in her quiet rage. "And what does she assist you with?" She did not allow Lucius time to answer before releasing her one-handed grasp on Cecilia's face with enough force to nearly knock the young woman off her feet.

"You are a worthless slut." Narcissa hissed. "Do you enjoy the taste of my husband's cock, you stupid little whore?" She shrieked.

Cecilia whimpered. Finally Lucius managed to come between the two women and he backhanded his wife so hard that Narcissa had to take several steps back to avoid toppling over. She clasped her hand over her now reddened cheek and stared at Lucius, who glared back bitterly.

"You are a fool, Lucius Malfoy." Narcissa whispered before apparating away.

Cecilia crumpled to the ground, her face in her hands. Her body was shaking with silent sobs of fear and bewilderment as Lucius swooped down to her and wrapped her up in his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry.." He repeated softly, not knowing what else to say.


	18. I'm on a roll! Authors note

**Authors note: Hey guys, My schedule has unexpectedly opened up so I am trying to get a chapter out a day now. Please excuse any typos or other weirdness, I'm just trying to keep it coming as quickly as I can. I'm sure I'll end up going back and fixing those things at some point but I'm trying to keep the momentum up. I'm having tons of fun! I hope you guys are too. Thanks so much for all the support and comments on my very first fanfiction. I feel very grateful to have all the readers I have.**


	19. Narcissism

Narcissa caught her reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall of her well furnished living room. Her hair was turning more grey at the temples, and her eyes seemed perpetually strained. Draco called from upstairs in his old room.

"Mom? Is that you?"

"Yes Draco."

Draco wasn't living with her still, and he didn't come to visit her nearly as often as she let on to Lucius, but she felt quite certain that he at least visited her more often than he visited his father. The place she was living at since the estrangement had once been one of their vacation homes. The house was in Lucius' name and all the furniture therein had been paid for my Lucius (though picked out by herself.) She was glad that he had not yet brought up the fact that, thou out of sight, she was still living off of his money almost entirely. She had what amounted to a small fortune from her own parents, but was anxious about spending any of it. She had decided to live off of Lucius for as long as she could and so far she hadn't had any issues with it.

She climbed the carpeted stairs to her son's room. After the estrangement he had lived with her for a few months before striking out on his own. She had kept his room just as he had left it. She knocked on the door.

"It's open" She heard him call.

He had grown like a weed in the past few years. He had always been a tall boy but only recently had he begun to fill out his frame. He looked more and more like his father every time she saw him. He barely glanced up at her from his desk where he was writing what seemed to be a letter.

"Have you seen your father lately?" She asked, keeping her voice level.

"Not really, why?"

"Just curious, dear. Don't you want to see him?"

"It's not like he lives far away. I can see him whenever I want to."

"But you don't."

"I'm busy is all, mum."

Narcissa nodded slightly, her eyes growing wet. She kissed him on the top of the head and made a hasty retreat to avoid him seeing the tears that threatened to spill over. Narcissa was not a good woman. She knew this. She was Lucius' match in every quality but with the added vehemence of feminine pride. Her one saving grace was her son, Draco. She had stood by as he was put in mortal danger and it took the fear of her son's death for her to realize that he was all she really had. Lucius had loved her once, but their marriage had been held together only by there son, and when he grew up and became independent, she and Lucius had had to try to rebuild their relationship with each other. Only to find that, after all those years, they just didn't like each other anymore. Lucius thought that She had grown old and bitter, and She thought that Lucius had grown even more temperamental and unpredictable. The added stress of the shared guilt at putting their beloved son in such unthinkable danger, was too much for their marriage to bear.

Narcissa walked calmly to her room, but once she had shut her door, she leaned back against it and let the hot tears roll down her face. How had everything fallen so utterly to pieces? Draco, poor Draco, first to be betrayed by his parents in terms of physical safety, only then to be betrayed by them in terms of familial comfort. Why did he not visit his father? Why must he be torn so by she and Lucius?

He had loved her once. His manner had been just as aloof then, but his eyes had been warmer. He had always been, and would always be, the same prim, haughty Malfoy, but many years ago he had shown her that he was a true person underneath. The thought of another woman being privvy to this Lucius that only she had known made her blood boil. And not just any woman, but a young one. A beautiful one with shining curls and nubile features. This woman who was so completely opposite from herself.

They were The Malfoys, the three of them. Their family had always been taken as a unit among their crowd. Their separation had thus far been a well kept secret, but goodness knew who had seen him gallivanting about with his…his mistress. How dare he? Narcissa paced the room, working to drown her sadness in her more familiar anger. How dare he make her look like a fool. How dare he destroy their family. She hadn't been too proud to stay with him out of love for her son and for the sake of public opinion. But no. Lucius couldn't even do that. Heaven forbid he do anything for anyone else's sake but his.

She sat down in the chair by the window overlooking the road. She stared ahead, her mind twisting between blinding anger and bitter sadness.

This had to be fixed. She couldn't sit by and let her family and reputation crumble.


	20. Unpleasant reunion

"Just give me a minute. Damnit, Mum." Draco grumbled as he shoved his foot unceremoniously into his shoe. "Why is it so important to go today anyway?"

"You can't just not visit your father, Draco. Come now, hurry up. Please do something with your hair." Narcissa hovered over her son, attempting to smooth his bed hair with her hands. He pulled away with a disgusted look and smoothed his hair on his own. "Look happy when we are there, Draco. I can't have your father thinking I don't treat you well." She continued as she straightened his tie vigorously, eliciting a small choke from the blonde boy.

"Mom! Let it be! I'm ready!" He cried out "I'm not a kid anymore."

He was right. Her son had managed to grow a full head taller than her in the past few years. She smiled tightly and patted his shoulder.

"Let's go then."

A loud crack was followed by silence in the pretty vacation house.

Cecilia was, as yet, alone in the Malfoy office. Every so often she thought she could hear shuffling on the other side of the house, but Lucius had not made an appearance that morning. Two days had passed since the scene with Narcissa. Cecilia had been shaken. After Narcissa had left, Cecilia hid in the safety of Lucius arms for what seemed like a very long time. He had lifted her into a chair and kneeled in front of her, whispering things she didn't hear. Of course she had always known that Lucius was married, but having never actually seen his wife, the fact had been easy enough to ignore. The fiery hatred that had shone in Narcissa's eyes struck Cecilia through the heart. She couldn't help but to put herself in Narcissa's shoes. She didn't know all the particulars of the estrangement, but she could only guess at how it would feel to see ones husband with another woman. Estranged or not. They had a son. Draco, she knew. Though she had never met him. They were a family, despite everything, and she didn't belong. She was an outsider.

She couldn't feel bad with Lucius gently entreating her to forgive him, though.

A loud Crack, and Narcissa and a tall blonde boy appeared in the middle of the room. Cecilia started, but then braced herself and stood.

"Where is Lucius?" Narcissa asked, addressing her as if she were a servant.

"Can't say, miss."

"Why not?" Narcissa commanded, rounding on her. Cecilia glanced at the boy, it must be Draco. He looked bewildered, his eyes going from his mother to her in quick succession.

"Because I don't know." Cecilia answered. Squaring her shoulders.

"Don't you? How unexpected. I would have thought you knew everything about him by now." Narcissa crossed the room and planted herself in one of the chairs by the fireplace. "We'll wait for him here."

Understanding was forming in Draco's eyes, which became darker at the realization that he was being used by his mother as a means of keeping tabs on his father. In the year since His mother and father had unofficially split up, he had been used in similar ways too many times. Sick of being leverage, he smiled brilliantly at Cecilia and introduced himself.

"Draco." He said, cheerfully, extending his hand.

Cecilia's face flushed madly, but she took Draco's hand and shook it. "Cecilia Wells. I work for your father." An inelegant snort came from Narcissa. Draco smiled again, signaling to Cecilia to ignore his mom. "He's told me all about you." She said.

"Hopefully not everything." Draco responded, smiling. He looked remarkably like his father. He had precisely the same eyes, but his smile was much easier. Cecilia couldn't help but try to imagine Lucius as a bright young man. "Please," Draco continued "Don't let us keep you." Cecilia smiled, trying not to be awkward, and sat back down to her work ad Draco went and took a seat opposite his mother, who glared at him.

Cecilia took up her quill and dipped it into the small glass pot of emerald green ink. She struggled to write out Lucius' schedule clearly, splattering ink on her fingers and on the page as her hand shook slightly. This was ridiculous. She couldn't work with them just….sitting there. The scratching sounds of her quill were magnified by the thick silence. "_Oh Lucius, come soon. I can't take this."_ she prayed silently, willing Lucius to hear her mental plea. She could feel Narcissa's eyes on her. Cecilia squirmed helplessly.

Finally, the doorknob turned and Lucius came in. "Good morning, Cecilia. Do you have my schedule ready yet?" He said as he entered, making a beeline to Cecilia's desk, his expression unusually cheerful. He hadn't noticed the predator in his chair yet.

"Almost, sir." Cecilia glanced pointedly at the other end of the room. Lucius cocked his head slightly before following her gaze. His face fell when he saw Narcissa, sitting there with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the two of them venomously. He sighed.

"Why are you here?" He asked calmly

"She wanted to come with me." Draco said, getting up from his chair. A bit of cheerfulness returned to Lucius' face when he noticed his son. Draco came up and gave his father a slightly awkward hug.

"My, Draco. It's been a while." Lucius said "Cecilia! This is my boy, Draco." He said, smiling.

Cecilia smiled, her face still tight with tension. Had he forgotten that his wife was still in the chair, staring bullets into their faces?

"What on earth have you been up to?" Lucius asked his son. The two of them went around to Lucius desk and caught up, neither of them giving Narcissa a second notice.

In the following days, Narcissa and Draco became frequent visitors. Lucius and Narcissa had several verbal spars, but a repeat of the initial scene never occurred. Whenever Draco came to visit, Narcissa would be with him. She would often sit in the chair by the fire that Cecilia had once unofficially claimed as her own and just watch the comings and goings of the office. None of the sly glances between Lucius and Cecilia escaping her hawkish eyes.

"Lucius, I can't take much more of this." Cecilia said after Narcissa had left one day. "She's always watching me. I feel terrible."

Lucius sunk in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

"I know." He said.

Cecilia immediately regretted saying anything. He looked so tired. So defeated.

"What can I do, Cecilia?" He continued, looking up at her with eyes that seemed older than they ever had. "I hate seeing her. I hate that she is always around you. But I can't kick her out with Draco here. He will take her side. He always has. I've missed him. She has always used him against me in one way or another." He shoved a stack of books off of his desk angrily, they landed with a loud clatter on the floor. Cecilia studied her hands twisting in her lap.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"Don't make it worse by blaming yourself. You haven't caused any trouble, the trouble's been there for a long time." He stood up and walked over to Cecilia, lifting her chin and wiping away the stray tear. "There there, pet. Don't cry. You won't let her run you off, will you?" He kissed her and she smiled weakly. "Stay here tonight, won't you?"

Cecilia nodded and grasped his hand as he led her out of the office.

"Will she be back again today?" Cecilia whined, her bottom lip protruding in playful pout that melted Lucius. He wrapped his arms tighter around her leaned back against his desk.

"I wouldn't doubt it." He said.

Cecilia whined sweetly again, eliciting a devilish smirk from Lucius. "I miss having you all to myself." She whispered against his lips.

"Mmm.." Lucius hummed in agreement, letting his hands roam to her backside as he kissed her.

Narcissa arrived with Draco at about noon, as expected. Cecilia was almost used to it now, she didn't even look up when Narcissa sniffed loudly as she passed her desk. Draco planted himself next to his dad, Lucius had spent the past few visits explaining to Malfoy the work that he did, but today it seemed that the tides had changed, as Draco uncharacteristically launched into animation when telling Lucius about his new job at Hogwarts. Cecilia couldn't imagine, at that moment, that what she had heard about this boy had been true. He seemed too…normal, to have been so closely tied to You-Know-who not so very long ago.

It wasn't past two when a soft knock came at the office door. A house elf pushed the door open.

"A message from the ministry, sir" came the small voice of the old house elf.

"Not an owl?" Lucius asked

"Sorry sir, Mr. Murdoch's owl was already in transit and he's strange about using other birds." Came a man's voice. Cecilia's eyes widened and she looked up.

It was him. The man from the bar. The one who had…

She dropped her quill, splattering ink all over her page and herself. He saw her, his eyes locked on to her and recognition flashed in his eyes. A barely perceptible smile curled his lip. It looked like a snarl. He blinked and turned back to Malfoy, handing him an envelope and bowing before leaving as suddenly as he had come.

"Ah….excuse me…" Cecilia sputtered "I've made a mess" She scrubbed at an ink blot on her hand, which only smeared the black green ink across the back of her hand. "I'll just go…clean this up." Cecilia wobbled to her feet and tried to walk calmly to the door. Once she was out of sight from the office she ran down the hall to the bathroom where she vomited the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"Is she always so weird?" Draco mused, back in the office. Lucius smacked his hand playfully and the two Malfoy men shared a smile.

Narcissa's eyebrow was raised and she was laughing on the inside. Lucius hadn't even noticed the girls reaction to that messenger. Stupid man. Stupid, dense, man. She had been waiting for the girl to trip up, and her waiting had finally paid off.


	21. Love and Lies

Cecilia's eyes fluttered open, dazzled by the bright Sunday sun that streamed through the crack in the thick curtains. She wriggled her toes un the softness of the expensive covers. Lucius' had drawn the canopy around the four poster bed and this obscured the clock on the mantle from her view. She guessed it was around eight in the morning. She stretched herself, feeling long and lean as a cat, then rolled over. Lucius' eyes were still closed, his chest rising and falling slowly in the deep breathing of sleep. He looked remarkably peaceful in his sleep, almost childlike. Gorgeous. She propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a feather light kiss. He stirred, his eyes opening. He smiled groggily.

"Mornin'" He mumbled, his voice hoarse and deep with sleep.

"Good morning, Sir."

He lifted his head and caught her lips in a kiss. He was thinking how much easier it was to wake up when he had a beautiful young woman in his bed. When reality was better than his dreams, it was easy to forego slobbish sleeping in. He pushed her back down onto her back, rolling on top of her. Their naked bodies were still warm to the touch from the heat of being in the blankets all night. His fingers traced a trail from behind her ear, down the side of her neck, over her shoulder and around the delicate lily-white skin of her breast and over the plane of her stomach. She sighed happily, letting her eyes close.

She mewed quietly as Lucius lowered his head to her neck, where he bit gently on the sensitive skin while teasing her inner thigh with his fingers. Cecilia buried her nose in his mussed hair and deeply inhaled the masculine scent. He smelled of expensive soap and sleep. She gasped when he slowly inserted one of his long fingers into her. He expertly stroked his finger over her sensitive g-spot, making her sigh quietly. She breathed slowly and deeply, as if still asleep, with her eyes closed and her hand around Lucius' neck, absent-mindedly dragging her fingernails softly over the bundle of nerve endings at the nape of his neck, sending shivers through his body.

Lucius withdrew his fingers, Cecilia's body regretfully relinquishing the pleasure it had been giving her. Lucius shifted himself over her and unconsciously Cecilia's legs widened, wrapping around her lover's waist. He entered her slowly, inch by inch, while burying his face against her neck, his warm breath against her ear. He made love to her slowly, his thrusting seeming secondary to his kisses and soft caressing of her whole body. His hands roamed over her, exploring every curve. Every slight touch of his fingertips a kiss.

"Lucius…" She breathed. She had never said his name during sex before. He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her, accompanied by a gentle thrust which was met with an appreciative flex of her inner muscles. They gazed into each other's eyes, Cecilia smiled dreamily as her small hands petted and caresses his toned arms, she let her fingernails drag with a feathery touch down the length of his arms and he trembled, his eyes rolling back into his head. He nuzzled into her neck and focused his attention on his thrusting. He was slow, deliberate, almost pulling out completely before pushing back in. Cecilia could feel her orgasm building as with each stroke the head of his penis brushed past her sensitive g-spot. The sexual energy was coiling up at the base of her spine, building in intensity with each stroke. She let her body relax completely as her orgasm began, first small waves of pleasure lapping at her toes, then slowly washing over her body like waves crashing on a beach. She felt the energy flow from her toes to the top of her head, her entire body awash in unspeakable pleasure.

Lucius calmly coaxed every last wave of her orgasm out of her, his eyes intent on her shut ones. When she seemed to collapse into the pillows, complete, he kissed her deeply. She smiled into his kiss and wrapped her legs tighter around him. Not long after, Cecilia watched as Lucius was brought to the same end she had felt before. His lips parted deliciously and his eyes glazed over while she had locked them with her own. She watched, her hand cupping the side of his face, as his breathing became erratic and he fought to keep himself propped on his elbows above her. She saw his jaw clench as he thrust into her one final time before he collapsed on top of her and groaned loudly as she felt his warm seed pulse into her.

They laid together, each tangled in each others arms and legs, each sighing in the glowing halo of completeness.

"What time is it?" Cecilia asked quietly.

Lucius moved aside the canopy and glanced at the clock.

"Almost noon."

Narcissa stirred her tea. She didn't need to, as she took it without sugar or cream, but she had always stirred her tea. It seemed like the natural thing to do.

"And where did you meet her?" She asked the man sitting awkwardly across from her, obviously uncertain as to why Narcissa Malfoy had asked to meet him at an out-of-the-way coffee place.

"Sorry, who?" He asked.

"Cecilia Wells."

"Sorry ma'am, but I'm confused…"

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "The girl from my husband's office. You know the one."

"Oh." The man squirmed in his seat. "I guess I first met her at a bar."

"Your sense of class continues to astound." She replied cruelly, but her heart leapt with the knowledge that the innocent young Cecilia seemed to stalk seedy bars filled with, apparently, equally seedy men.

"And what happened, when you met her, I mean."

The man blushed under her intent gaze.

"Oh…You know…"

"I'm sorry, I don't. You'll have to explain it." She said curtly. She had to get him to say it, clearly and succinctly.

The man caught her eye and smirked, an expression that churned Narcissa's stomach even as she silently triumphed knowing that her instincts had been correct.

"She wanted it, Ma'am."

She knew he was lying. He had seen the look on Cecilia Wells' face when she had seen him. It couldn't be mistaken for anything other than fear and disgust. But she couldn't think about that. Facts were facts, and she now had enough of them to get her family back to the way it was.


	22. Seeds of doubt

Narcissa apparated into Lucius' parlor, where he was reading a day old copy of the Daily Prophet over a cup of tea.

"Narcissa." He greeted curtly without looking up.

"Has she left?" Narcissa asked, looking around the room. She wouldn't have been surprised to see his "secretary" hanging around his private rooms.

"If you mean Ms. Wells, yes, she has gone home for the evening." Lucius said, elaborately turning the page of the newspaper "I'll tell you again that I would much prefer for you to knock at the front door before entering my home."

She ignored him and wandered around the room, he hadn't changed much about the room in her absence, save for the addition of a small radio on a delicate side table hidden in the corner of the room. She hoped that the addition was a sign of loneliness, he had never listened to the radio before, but her hopes were not high. She sat down in an overstuffed leather chair across the room from her husband.

"Ms. Wells. How did you meet her?"

Lucius finally looked up at her, an eyebrow raised in annoyed surprise. "I can't see how that concerns you."

"I think I have the right to know a bit about my husbands mistress."

"I disagree. But if you must know, she answered an ad."

"You put out an ad for a mistress?" Narcissa asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"No, you stupid cow, for a secretary."

Narcissa leaned back, hiding her blush of embarrassment at her misunderstanding. "And what do you know about her?"

"Plenty." Lucius was growing tired of this line of questioning. He was sickened by the skeletal woman reclining on his chair, staring at him with what he was sure was supposed to be a piercing gaze. To him, it looked more like a dimwitted stare. He opened his mouth to demand for her to leave, once again, but he knew that it was futile. This woman had no respect for him or his property.

"It's interesting. I think I may know a bit more about her than you do." She said, observing her fingernails in an attempt to look blasé.

"That is interesting, Narcissa." Lucius replied with disinterest.

Narcissa sighed, annoyed at Lucius' lack of response. Didn't he want to hear about his precious little woman? She stood up and crossed the room, leaning on the table across from Lucius. She pushed the newspaper away from him. "Do you remember that messenger boy that came in the other day?"

Lucius looked up at her.

"I bumped in to him yesterday and he had some interesting things to say about your dear little Cecilia. It seems he knows her quite well."

Lucius got up from his chair and dismissed his wife. "I have no interest in your jealousy. You always were an insufferable gossip, weren't you?" He picked up the newspaper and folded it, leaving it on the table before refilling his tea.

"Cecilia Wells is a whore."

Anger flashed in Lucius' eyes and he struggled to control his impulse to throw the hot tea in the face of the person who would speak ill of his pet. He took a deep, calming breath. "You truly are pathetic, Narcissa."

"You don't have to take my word for it. That man, the messenger, told me all about it and I'm sure he'd be willing to tell you as well. He met her at a seedy bar and they had sex that same night. She didn't even know his name." She said. Lucius, despite his skepticism, felt his heart sink. "He hinted at money having changed hands." She lied. Lucius's eyes dropped to the floor. No. It couldn't be true. His wife was a liar.

"I know you can't believe it right now." Narcissa began, mock sympathy in her eyes as she came towards Lucius and took his limp hands in her own. "But, deep down, you must know that it's true. I am sorry you had to learn of it like this, but I can't stand to see you taken advantage of. Everyone knows you are a powerful man, and that makes you a target to women like her." She lifted a hand to Lucius' cheek and directed his gaze to her eyes, brimming with false tears. "My dear Lucius, you must know that I am the only one who truly respects you. I am the only one who doesn't only see your wealth and position."

"Which isn't to mention our son. Draco….our dear Draco….he so wishes for us to be a family again." She lied. She knew that Draco honestly didn't care about his mother and father's relationship as long as he was not involved, but she also knew that Draco was a tender spot for Lucius and that her best bet at manipulating Lucius was through their son.

"Leave me." He said darkly.

Narcissa smiled weakly and dropped her hand from his cheek. "Yes. I'm sorry. It must be difficult to hear. I'll leave you alone now to think it over." He was unresponsive when she kissed his cheek before disappearing with a loud crack, but she was confidant. Of course he wouldn't believe her right away, but she had planted the seed of doubt. He would come around. It wouldn't take long.


	23. Morning Glory

The sun was bright and cheerful that morning as Lucius Malfoy stepped out the grand front entrance of his estate. He hadn't counted on the bighting wind. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his long platinum hair. It would be spring soon, the snow had melted away to reveal the gray, dead earth beneath. Only a few tentative signs of green life showed their faces in the forms of crocus leaves puncturing the hardened ground and fresh leaves that dotted the many trees on the grounds. He rarely took walks around his property, preferring the darkness and familiarity of the inside of the magnificent building his family had called home for many generations.

Turning the corner, he was met with the sight of a garden taking it's first deep breath after a long, drab winter. The garden had always been there, it seemed as permanent a feature of the Malfoy name as the signature blonde hair. Though a Malfoy had never tended it. That was servant's work, after all. He followed the well kept path that wound it's way through hedges and perfectly arranged rose bushes (still boney and dangerous looking with their dried thorns.) His hair whipped his face in the cold wind that belied the lateness of the season.

This garden was his, technically. That is to say, he owned the land on which the garden grew. But it truly belonged to the gardener. He had often perceived the old man from his parlor window, walking gently through the plots, caressing sprigs of flowers and happily coaxing life out of the ground. That morning, Lucius felt like an intruder on his own property, silently praying that he wouldn't run into the old gardener. Looking up at the robin's egg colored sky, he was struck by the realization that, though he owned so many things, precious few really belonged to him. What did he have, truly? He had himself. He had his work. He supposed he had his health. Could he pretend that he had his family. Could he say he had Cecilia?

He sat down on an ancient bench beneath a large leafy tree. The new leaves rustled above his head. He closed his eyes, the bright sunlight turning the backs of his eyelids bright red and the sound of the leaves above him took on the sound of falling rain. The wind caught his hood and blew it back, leaving his hair unrestrained. It blew around his shoulders and his face.

_What can I do? What can I do? _He muttered repeatedly under his breath until the words blended together and the distinct syllables sounded strange and foreign on his tongue. He grasped at anger, desperately reaching for that familiar and comfortable emotion, but he didn't have the energy to keep it. He sunk again into a tired despair. This conundrum was beyond him. On the one hand he had his family. As fucked up as it was, it remained. His son. Draco wanted to be a proper family again. Lucius wished for it too. He longed for a quiet evening in the large parlor downstairs, his son reading quietly in a chair across from him, his wife sewing complacently next to him. It had been like that once, a very long time ago. But everyone had changed so much. He doubted that that image of contentment could ever be painted again. The faces were older now, more bitter, unhappy. His doubts could not, however, banish his hopes. Narcissa had seemed genuinely hopeful as well on their last meeting. If she was willing to change, to try again, shouldn't he be? They had undertaken more grievous things for the sake of their son before. Surely it couldn't be so hard to live peacefully together again? Even if he could never love her again, they could sit together with their son and have a measure of happiness.

But Cecilia. Oh Cecilia. She was a flower pushing through hard, long frosted ground. She brought life to a dead house and cheerfulness to a hollow man. She was like a child, lily white and pure. He couldn't imagine what Narcissa had accused her of. His Cecilia (for he really felt that she belonged to him) could never such a thing. She was too shy, to sweet, to do something so shameful. He couldn't imagine it. It simply could not be true.

And yet, he thought, what did he really know about Cecilia Wells? He knew what her voice sounded like. He had memorized every curve of her body and he knew the meaning of her every expression. But he had never met any of her family, he didn't know what she had been like as a child. He didn't know who her friends were. He knew where she lived, but he didn't know what sort of neighborhood it was. How could he know who she truly was? Hell, she could be anyone. His heart sunk with a pang when he finally approached this thought head-on. She could be anyone. He didn't really know anything about her. It was entirely possible that she WAS what Narcissa had claimed. He had never been hoodwinked by a woman before, but surely there were women out there who could trick even him. The thought of the news getting out about his involvement with such a woman made him shudder. It was the last thing he needed in this precarious time as he tried to rebuild his public image. He couldn't trust Narcissa to keep it a secret if he chose Cecilia over her.

He stood up, pulling his hood back over his now unruly hair. He knew what he had to do, though his knees quaked with regret even as he resolved himself to it. He plucked an early rose bud off of a nearby bush as he passed along the path back to the house. It was red and still tightly wound in an elegant bud. _Cecilia….Cecilia… _he said, caressing the syllables of her name as gently as he caressed the soft petals of the young flower. He brought the rose to his lips, letting the softness caress him back. He breathed in the delicate scent. _Cecilia…Cecilia… _He would repeat that word until it became a meaningless string of sounds.

As he approached the stairs to the front entrance, he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and crushed the innocent flower in his hand. The sticky nectar of the petals coated his fingers.

_Cecilia…_ He thought one last time, before casting the ruined flower on to the white marble of the staircase.


	24. Reflections

**(AN: Sorry it's been so long. C'est la vie, right?)**

Cecilia stretched her arms above her languidly, the sun was just breaking past the horizon, filling her messy and familiar bedroom with an almost mystical grey light. She raised herself on her elbows, her lips turning down at the corners. She had a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomache. As she got ready to go to work she felt sluggish but also on edge. She thought of Lucius and some of the heaviness seemed to lift off of her shoulders, though her confidence wavered as she drove to the large estate.

She bounded up the marble steps at the entrance of Malfoy Manor, her eyes grazing past the crushed flower that had been cast on the ground there. She didn't mark it in her mind, she just kept on trotting up to her love, but she would remember it later.

She pushed the door to the office over the plush carpeting. She was surprised to see that Lucius was already there.

"Good morning." She greeted him cheerily, but her face softened when she was met with just a weak smile in response. She cocked her head to the side as if to ask him what was wrong but he made no reply to her silent query. He turned his gaze back to the work before him on the large desk and she followed his lead, walking across to her desk and setting about her work diligently.

Lucius' pulse was drumming a dreadful beat he could hear clearly through the heavy silence of the room. He clenched his jaw in frustration as he looked back over the work he had done and saw that his handwriting was almost unreadible, even to him. His hands were clammy and trembled incessantly. His heart screamed and fought bitterly against what his mind had already decided he must do. He dropped his quill, splattering small drops of ink on the wasted parchment, and pressed his palms against his eyes. "Cecilia." He said.

His voice, so deep and so soft, carried across the space between them like an omen. Cecilia's heart sank for reasons she didn't yet understand. "Yes?" She replied.

He stood, the backs of his legs pushing back the heavy chair behind him and he walked over to her. She put down her quill and clenched uncomfortable fists in her lap. He was looking down at their reflections in the highly polished wood of her secretary's desk when he told her to go home.

"I don't understand. Are you sick?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing with concern. He shook his head, still refusing to make eye contact with her.

"No. I'm not sick."

She stood up and came around the desk. "Lucius, what's the matter?" She asked, raising her hand to his flushed cheek. Before she could touch him though, he pushed her hand away, finally looking her in the eye.

"I have a family." he said. The statement fell like a death sentence on her ears.

A lump formed in Cecilia's throat and her eyes dropped to the floor. "Please...She's said something to you, hasn't she." She looked up, catching his eyes. The lump in her throat burst and hot tears spilled onto her cheeks in a sudden flood. "That's not fair, Lucius." Her voice cracked. His lip trembled slightly as he struggled to keep his expression cold and impassive. His resolve threatened to crumble when the tears streaked down her face.

But he did what he always had done, he put all the force of his sadness behind a manufactured anger. He embraced the familiar emotion, the heat of his pain morphing into the flames of fury, he let the comfort of this old friend wash over him as he turned on his heel and walked to the other side of the room, leaving the sobbing woman and her tears behind him.

"What did you think, Ms. Wells? Are you really so arrogant as to assume that I would abandon my family for you?"

"Luciu-"

He cut her off, not wanting to hear the hurt in her voice. "What possibly posessed you to think that you were so special." He spat "All I wanted was a hard working, slutty secretary. You know that. You were never anything more than that. And now you are a burden and I no longer require your services. Pretty girl like you...there will be plenty of other well-to-do dirty old men who will employ you, I'm sure, and you will probably serve them as eagerly as you did me. Every man enjoys a whore for a time, but one who overstays her welcome is a curse to any man"

Silence fell on the room like a heavy blanket. He could feel her eyes on his back and he thought he could hear the shattering of her heart. His pulse had steadied after his outburst, now he felt wrapped in a cool emptiness. He stared at his hand which was steadying him against the mantle as he stood in front of the empty fireplace.

"Ms. Wells, if you don't leave on your own I will be forced to have you escorted off the premises." He said cooly.

He heard movement behind him. Then the sound of the door opening, then closing, then the clicking of her heels as she walked down the hallway, then down, down, down, the stairs. He listened as the heavy front door opened and closed, latching behind her. Finally, he heard the distant thud of her car door closing and the engine starting up, then fading away.

He stooped, falling to his knees. He wanted to whisper her name in the hopes that those kind syllables would bring him some comfort, but he couldn't bring himself to defile the precious name with his voice anymore. He stared at the carpet, noticing the filaments and small specks of dust with the attention only a man half-mad with pain could pay.


	25. Family values

The cloak made a satisfying whooshing sound when Lucius Malfoy pulled it off it's hook and settled it over his shoulders. In the mirror's reflection he could see Narcissa on the other end of the room, she was patting her coiffure, making sure that her hatpins would hold through the ball. The night wasn't anything special, just one more in an endless parade of business events pretending to be galas, but Lucius' stomach fluttered slightly with anxiousness. This would be the first time he would be seen at an event with his wife for quite a long time. Things had been difficult enough when the pair had initially separated. Of course, nothing official ever happened, they just gradually stopped being seen together. There had been whispers, but they had mostly died away. He had a feeling that they would start up again now with the sudden reappearance of the Malfoys as a set. The only thing more gossip-inducing than a split, is a strange and sudden reunion.

His wife didn't seem to feel the same way. She seemed excited to be going to a ball again, she had spent much of the day secreted away in her parlor rummaging around with what Lucius could only imagine was a large and expensive collection of beauty products. It made him angry knowing that she had not a care in the world while he was left to worry.

But then, resentment had become his shadow in the past few months. Narcissa had moved back into the manor, though they slept in separate rooms, a decision made mutually and wordlessly. During the first few days of her being back he had watched impassively as she seemed to try to slip into the mold of the iconic Happy Married Couple. She had kissed him. He moved his lips against hers in what he hoped could pass as a real kiss, but he pulled away when she snaked her arm around his neck. After a few more failed attempts at intimacy, she gave up.

So much time had passed since their relationship had fallen apart. Seasons had come and gone since they had both realized that the love they had once felt was simply no longer there. It nearly drove Lucius mad when he looked around at his life and saw that nothing had changed in that time. They were back in the exact same situation they had been in before the separation. Would his life never change? Would he really spend the rest of his days in such a disagreeable manner?

As ever, his one solace was Draco. His reunion with Narcissa had reaped one benefit, his son was coming around more often. He now saw Draco nearly every day. Even there though, was a downside. Draco had become more angry, often being snide with them when the three of them were together. Some days it seemed like Draco came to visit only to roll his eyes and make excuses to leave. It was better than nothing.

At the dinner that evening, the three of them sat together at the long table of ministry fat cats. Several people would whisper amongst themselves about how Lucius and Narcissa never spoke to one another for the whole evening, but each chatted with a reluctant Draco and the others as if nothing was wrong.

He was a broken man. To any one who cared to look, it was written plain as day on his face. His shoulders sagged weakly where they had once been strong and imposing. He seemed to get lost in his thoughts, staring into space for long stretches of time. He had never been so introverted before. His familiar scowl had sunken into the persistent frown of a man resigned to his own misfortune.

He didn't think of Cecilia Wells consciously, but her absence was like a constant force in the room. Every moment was tainted with it. She drifted always along the peripherals and he had begun to treat the memory of his short time with her as one treats a fairy tale. Perfect, ethereal, and completely unconnected to reality. The Lucius who had loved Cecilia was someone Else. A temporary doppelganger that had wandered accidentally into his life. Not this Lucius, who chewed his meal silently in a room filled to the brim with music and laughter.


	26. The moment exploded

Cecilia pulled the comforter up to her chin and snuggled her face into it, the morning sun was streaming through the window but she did not want to get up and face the day yet. Once again, she was unemployed. Fighting the urge to hide away in her room for another day, she rolled irritably out of bed and found an oversized sweatshirt to throw on over her nightgown. It would be spring soon, but in the morning it was still cold as ice in her apartment. She shuffled around her bed to find her slippers then sat back down, her hands between her thighs trying to keep warm. "Well, I'm up." She thought "now what?"

On her bedside table was a small slip of parchment with Lucius' scribbled handwriting on it. It was the note he had sent to her when she first landed the job as his Secretary. She looked down at it and, for the thousandth time, picked it up and studied his handwriting. No one else in the world had handwriting like his. It has the quality of being messy, but still acceptable. She knew that he had taken extra care to write this since she had seen what his handwriting was like normally. That slip of paper and the thin silver bracelet she still wore were her only relics of what now seemed like a dream.

Jobs were scarce. For weeks she had shlepped around her apartment, eating almost the entire contents of her kitchen, and sent out resume after resume. She knew that eventually, if she just kept trying, she would get a job. She was competent and had experience. It was just a matter of finding someone who needed her. She sighed and got up to raid her refrigerator for something to eat.

Soon after she had been ordered out of the Malfoy estate, she had sent a couple of letters to him. She had gotten no response. She hoped in her heart that he had never received them, that Narcissa had managed to intercept the owls before he ever saw the letters, but when she thought about it frankly, she knew that it was just as likely that he was purposefully ignoring her. Perhaps she really was just a nuisance to him. She had stopped trying to contact him, but was still struggling to recuperate from the breakup.

"Not that it really was a breakup..." She had thought to herself time and time again "We were never really together anyway. I was just a toy for him. A plaything."

No matter how many times she repeated this to herself like some painful mantra, she couldn't believe it wholeheartedly.

Today she had an interview at the ministry at noon. Her hopes were not high for landing the job, she knew for a fact that at least ten others had applied for the same position, but she had to try. In the hours she had until she needed to be at the ministry, she lounged on her couch with the blanket from her bed watching daytime muggle television and eating ice cream for breakfast.

The ministry was swarming with people, as usual, when Cecilia arrived for her interview dressed in a gray blazer and simple black pencil skirt. She had pulled her hair back into a slick ponytail, not wanting to spend so long curling it for an interview that would last no more than ten minutes. A rush of cool air and the buzzing sound of numerous voices greeted her when she stepped into the gigantic lobby. She glanced around, enjoying being dressed and out of the house for a change, when she caught a glimpse of long platinum hair out of the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she turned to look and there, about twenty feet away, stood Lucius Malfoy talking to a stout wizard with a gold pocket watch.

She stared. "Of course. I should have anticipated seeing him. He does technically work here." She thought to herself. He didn't notice her. It was strange seeing him again, in her mind the image of his face had begun to fade. She had started to forget the fine lines around his eyes and the way his fingers elegantly clasped around his snake-head staff. Seeing all these details again was almost physically painful. He had begun to fade into the realm between memory and fantasy, and now he had been brought back to life as a true, human, physical person. A person who had hurt her.

The conversation between Lucius and the other wizard ended, the stranger turning and walking towards the door. Lucius stood there a bit longer, seemingly deciding where he needed to go next. She inadvertently thought that if she was still his secretary he wouldn't be so scatterbrained. He hid his fault easily though, pretending to pick lint off of the shoulder of his black cloak. She almost smiled.

She shouldn't have stared for so long. People can only stay unaware of their being watched for so long before that hidden instinct takes over and they looked up. His eyes caught hers for a breathless moment. Her lips parted to speak but no words came out. A small group of chattering witches passed in the space between her and him, causing the eye contact to be broken. When the witches had passed, he was no longer looking at her. He had turned and was striding away from her. She took a step to follow him, but the rigidity of his gait could not leave space for hope. He did not want to talk to her.

She turned on her heel, having decided at that very moment that there was no way on earth that she would ever be able to work in that building ever again. She tried to hide the hot tears that welled in her eyes as she strode out of the building and returned home.


	27. What else are friends for?

Cecilia rested her head on Clair's shoulder. "It was like he didn't even know me." She said. Claire patted Cecilia's head, stroking her hair gently.

"I'm sorry dear. I don't know what to say. He's a jackass." She sat up straight and reached over the coffee table where a box of tissues sat. She pulled one out and handed it to Cecilia who wiped her eyes.

Cecilia had invited Claire over that same evening that she had had the run in with Lucius. She couldn't bear the thought of another night spent alone and just counting down the hours until it was a reasonable time to go to bed for the night. She hadn't seen Claire in a while anyway, and she thought it would be fun to see her. Well, maybe she wasn't expecting to have FUN, per se, but it would be better than wallowing alone in self pity.

"I don't want to think about it anymore." Cecilia said through sniffs. "I can't stand it. I can't stand any of it. This whole mess is...well it's such a mess!"

Claire smiled weakly. "Alright then. We'll talk about something else." Silence ensued.

"Uh...so how is work going for you?" Cecilia asked.

Claire took a sip of her glass of wine. "Oh, you know, same old. I am getting so tired of my job at the Ministry. It's so tedious, and I do the exact same thing every single day. I feel like a zombie most of the time."

"At least you have a job..." Cecilia said somewhat darkly.

"Whatever, don't get like that. You don't want to work there anymore anyway, trust me. There's a whole world of fun jobs waiting out there for you." Claire said with a wide sweep of her arm. Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe it's not THAT exciting out there, but you should try and be glad that now you can try totally new and different things. Maybe you could get a job in Hogsmeade in one of those strange little shops. Or you could be a bartender or something. Seriously, you should branch out in your job search."

"Maybe..."

"Honestly, I don't have any doubts that everything is going to be just fine. And if you can't find a job, you can live in my attic rent free."

"Gee, thanks." Cecilia said.

—

The next morning, Claire woke up later than usual due to her late night television marathon with Cecilia the night prior. She rolled bitterly out of the warmth and comfort of her decidedly messy bed and quickly got ready before apparating to the ministry. As usual the main entrance area was swarming with people. She grumbled to herself as she tried to rush up to her office without shoving anyone out of the way. "Goddamned place...get here even two minutes late and it's already packed...stupid job...stupid people.." Suddenly she saw Lucius Malfoy. She stopped and sighed heavily, she would have to be a few more minutes late to work. She couldn't just walk past him without giving him a piece of her mind. What else are friends for?

She walked up to him with her eyes narrowed fiercely. "You've got some nerve" She said.

Lucius turned around to see a woman he had never before laid eyes on glaring at him. "...Pardon?" He asked, confused.

"It's bad enough that you hurt my friend while simultaneously destroying the best hing that will EVER happen to you, but you have enough jackassery in you to waltz around here all the time like you own the damn place. Because of you she is too afraid to come here even to look for a new job lest she come across you." Understanding came into his face. She set her jaw and never broke eye contact with the ambushed man. "I know the likes of you," She said, eying his fine clothes with disgust. "It's not like you do any actual work here anyway. Just go home. Maybe your fancy clothes and furniture will comfort you when you are an old ugly man with no woman who will ever love you."

She turned to leave but Malfoy caught her by the arm. He glanced around to be sure that they weren't drawing attention. Luckily, everyone around them seemed to be too busy to notice the confrontation that was unfolding. He pulled her back firmly. "Oh, no you don't" He growled "You can't just walk away after pulling a stunt like that. I don't know who you think you are, but you seem to have acquired some bad information. SHE lied to ME. She came into my house and betrayed ME. Whatever position Cecilia is in now is no one's fault but her own. IF it's true that she won't come back to the ministry, it's because she is too ashamed to show her face here amongst decent people."

Claire stopped struggling against Malfoy's grip on her arm and raised her eyebrow in confusion. "...huh?"

"Don't play dumb. You seem to know her well enough to know what kind of person she is. Even someone as thickheaded as you must realize why I had to do what I did."

"It looks like I am not the one who got bad information, Mr. Malfoy. I suggest you check your sources." With that Claire turned away and rushed up to her office.

Lucius' blood was racing and his head was dizzy with adrenaline. He Straightened himself, once again looking around hoping no one had seen what had passed. He wanted to be shocked at what the woman had said to him, but some small part of him knew it was true. Anger flashed hotly through him when the image of Narcissa came to his mind.

As he made his way through the crowd of people, he vowed to himself that he would not be made a fool of again.


End file.
